“The most widespread Winter Olympics in history.” The phrase has been repeated countless times to describe this edition in Italy. The reason for this? It’s not just a question of economics. The strategy is part of the very survival of the Olympic Games.
Officially, the Games held between February 6 and 22 are called Milan-Cortina, the two main venues. But they are also being contested in five other regions of Italian territory, covering 22 thousand km².
The organizers’ plan was to use the existing sports infrastructure as much as possible. This allows different regions of Italy to benefit from investment and tourism brought by the Games; ensures that sports are hosted in places that are already traditional for their modalities; This is in line with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) objective of reducing costs for host countries and the number of unused arenas after the event ends.
At the same time, it becomes a logistical challenge for everyone involved, from spectators to journalists. Going from one region to another on winding, one-way roads in the mountains takes time and makes the trip more expensive for tourists who want to watch different competitions. This way, the Games are also left without a big pulsating center and the atmosphere ends up being a little different.
Organizers say this is the only model that can work in future Winter Olympics. And, increasingly, it doesn’t seem like a choice.
The next edition, in the French Alps, in 2030, will be similar. There will be several host cities, and sports facilities used from the 1992 Albertville Winter Games will be repurposed.
The cost of hosting the Games is a delicate topic, especially in rich European countries, whose populations prefer to see money invested domestically, for their direct benefit.
Furthermore, there is another issue that no organizer can control: global warming.
Cortina d’Ampezzo, one of the venues here in Italy, also hosted the Winter Games in 1956. In the 70 years that have passed, the temperature in the region in the month of February has risen by 3.6°C.
A warmer planet requires more artificial snow production for competitions. For these Games, around 2.4 million cubic meters will be manufactured, using enough water to fill 380 Olympic swimming pools, which generates a major environmental impact.
Warmer temperatures and less snow also mean that, in the future, only a few countries will be able to host the Winter Games. It is no longer out of the plans to move the Olympic Games forward by a month, from February to January. The Paralympic Games, which this time will take place between March 6 and 15, could be brought forward to February in the future. Another point of debate is the possibility of creating a group of fixed countries that would take turns hosting the Olympics.
At the end of the Milan-Cortina Games, we will see what worked or not in this great logistical puzzle and what can serve as a lesson for future venues. And this will certainly influence the next Olympic bids.
The columnist is in Milan as a reporter for the organization responsible for the official broadcast of the Olympic Games
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