It's done, or almost. Already alone in the race, Italy is now assured of obtaining the organization of the next edition of the Youth Winter Olympic Games, scheduled for 2028. The Dolomiti Valtellina project, in the north of the country, was recommended on Tuesday, December 3 by the executive committee to host the event, as a follow-up to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The last step before a more formal award, announced for the session of January 30, 2025 in Lausanne. Proposed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), the project is supported by the government and by the authorities of the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and the autonomous province of Trentino. The master plan is based on the exclusive use of existing sites in three cores: Valtellina, Val di Fiemme and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Of the 11 competition venues, seven will have been used for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games. Long considered the favourite, the Italian bid was the only one selected last July to continue the race in the targeted dialogue phase. In addition, the IOC Olympic Programme Commission recommended to the Executive Board, which accepted, to include seven sports in the 2028 Winter YOG: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing. The maximum quota of athletes was set at 1.900, as for the Gangwon 2024 Winter YOG.
