LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Jan 21 (Reuters) – The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sliding center and ice hockey stadium are almost complete, but some work still needs to be done so they can be delivered for the Games in 16 days, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.

The Cortina d’Ampezzo gliding center came under intense pressure after Italy decided less than three years ago to build a new headquarters rather than use an existing one in a neighboring country to keep costs down and speed up preparations.

That decision, which was opposed by the IOC before being reluctantly accepted, meant that Italian organizers had their backs to the wall from the start of the project. Milan’s Santagiulia ice hockey venue had a similarly tight construction schedule.

“The sliding center. Is there still work to do? Yes, a lot,” IOC Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi told a news conference.

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sliding center and ice hockey stadium are almost complete, but some work still needs to be done to be able to deliver them for the Games in 16 days.
The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics sliding center and ice hockey stadium are almost complete, but some work still needs to be done to be able to deliver them for the Games in 16 days.

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“But what I have been told is that it is not a complex job. Everything that has to do with the systems, the cooling of the tracks, the scoring, the cameras, everything is in place,” Dubi said, speaking from Milan.

“What I saw is still a lot of finishing touches, some concrete paving for the tents, some preliminary work to prepare the place for spectators. They have a lot of people working. It will be ready, without a doubt. I have a lot of confidence in the slide center.”

Slow progress and construction delays at the Santagiulia stadium in southeast Milan were one of the main headaches in the run-up to the Olympics, but Dubi said work was in full swing to finish a venue that will host ice hockey competitions.

“I take my hat off to everyone who was able to set up a place in such a short time,” Dubi said. “It started late. That means it’s all hands on deck. 1,600 workers a day are on site. I’m very confident.”