It's 06:01 pm, and Livigno can officially feel the thrill of the Olympic dream. Indeed, has just concluded in Lausanne the conference in which the 86 members of the International Olympic Committee expressed their preference among the two candidate countries for the 2026 Winter Olympics: Italy and Sweden. Now we can say it: #DreamingTogether!
With 47 votes in favor of Italy, Milan-Cortina is confirmed as the site of the Winter Olympic Games in 2026, and Livigno will be part of this incredible project since it will host the Freestyle and Snowboard competitions, as well as the Olympic Village.
Here are the venues suggested in the Livigno area and the related races:
Mottolino slope
• Ski Halfpipe
• Ski Slopestyle
• Ski Big Air
• Snowboard Halfpipe
• Slopestyle Snowboarding
• Big Air Snowboard
Carosello 3000 slope
• Aerials
• Moguls
Sitas - Tagliede slope
• Giant Parallel Slalom
• Ski Cross
• Snowboard Cross
Aquagranda Active You
• Olympic Village
THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE AND THE ECO-SUSTAINABILITY
A peculiarity of the 2026 Olympics is that there will be a very important focus on the concept of "eco-sustainability". It will be evident in the building project for the construction of the infrastructures that will be used, indeed will be used temporary buildings that can be used again in the future.
The Olympic Village Concept proposes the same anti-waste philosophy, and will be built where today is located the Aquagranda Active You sports and wellness center, with temporary prefabricated modules, which will use high-tech energy sources, thanks to integrated systems with solar panels.
After the Olympics Games, the National Civil Protection Department has already been showed interest in these structures to be used as residential modules that can be relocated throughout Italy, for example in the event of earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters. It is a national heritage that will benefit society in the future.
Enjoy the promo video of Milano-Cortina 2026, that has been presented today in Lausanna:
SOME COMMENTS LIVE FROM LAUSANNE
Following the IOC’s announcement confirming Milan-Cortina as the site of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the delegation from Livigno expressed great excitement and satisfaction over the long-awaited decision. The delegation was at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne with both the local authorities and leaders from the Italian sporting sector. This decision will bring the winter Olympics back to Italy 20 years after the Turin experience.
"Our dream has become reality, thanks to the close working relationship of all those involved, both locally and nationally. We can now announce that Livigno will host the Winter Olympics in 2026,” declared Mayor of Livigno Damiano Bormolini. "We‘ve worked so hard to achieve this and are so proud. We’ll most definitely be celebrating, without losing sight of the final goal however and with even greater determination and desire to do, design and build. "
Besides snowboarding and freestyle races, Little Tibet will also host the Olympic Village. Besides the quality of its existing tracks and facilities, the Olympic Committee confirmed the Italian candidacy because of the careful attention paid to sustainability and projects for dismantling and reusing the infrastructures that are to be created especially for the Games. “We’re not worried about the challenge, as we’ve already worked so hard to to attain confirmation and also because the ‘Livigno Olympics’ are a milestone that has always been in our DNA." concludes Bormolini.
“With its popular ski area and many sporting events, Livigno is undoubtedly the queen of high altitude sports in the Italian Alps. Many Italian champions were born here, the national freestyle movement developed here and every year we welcome hundreds of internationally famous athletes. In a sense, we can say that for many athletes the road to Milan-Cortina 2026 starts and ends in Livigno, where they’ve already been training regularly and where they’ll also complete preparation for Beijing 2022, during which several races will be held on high ground,” continued Luca Moretti, CEO of APT Livigno. “We work hard to offer an increasingly more accommodating destination, cutting-edge facilities and services both to said athletes and to the many tourists who want to enjoy an active holiday without having to give up a certain kind of lifestyle and the warmth of Italian hospitality. The 2026 Winter Olympics are an incentive to continue along this path, well-aware of the spotlight this great sporting event will put on Little Tibet and the huge opportunity it is for all those who work here. "
“On behalf of so many of my colleagues, I believe I can say just how satisfied and excited we are at the thought, in just a few years’ time, of being able to experience the Olympic Games in Italy as leading figures, and on the same tracks we return to practice on every year,” concluded Michela Moioli, gold medalist in snowboarding cross at Pyeongchang 2018 who joined Team Livigno in 2019. “In Livigno I found a second home in addition to the ideal conditions for high-altitude training, which are fundamental in our training programme as we prepare to face the crucial events of the racing season. The IOC's decision rewards the efforts of an administration and compact and energetic team and I hope to be able to return as a leading figure in 2026, too."
