Fogelis informs himself about construction work in Cortina
Cortina (FIL/05 Jul 2024) On July 3 and 4, 2024, FIL President Einars Fogelis and the Chairman of the FIL Track Construction Commission Markus Aschauer, FIL track construction expert Robert Manzenreiter and FIL Vice President Technology Armin Zöggeler attended the third construction meeting for the renovation of the "Eugenio Monti" bobsleigh and luge track in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy).
The traditional Olympic track in the province of Belluno in the Veneto region is to be renovated for the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026. The last construction meeting in Cortina took place on May 29.
FIL President Einars Fogelis reported: "Those responsible at the construction company have confirmed to us that they want the construction work to be ready by March 2025 so that the first luge runs can take place on ice. We work very closely with OCOG for Milano-Cortina."
Cortina is set to become the first Olympic track to be operated with a new type of glycol cooling system. Track construction expert Markus Aschauer says: "The mock-up test on July 3 was the first to test the glycol coolant and was positive. The test curve iced up perfectly in July and in the rain".
The concrete work on curve 3 "Sento", which is scheduled to start at the end of July, will then begin. The next construction meeting in this group is planned for September 2024.
Olympic track "Eugenio Monti" with a great tradition
The 1956 Olympic bobsleigh track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy has a long tradition. It was put into operation in 1923 and, following extensive new construction and the wishes of the Italian government and the organizing committee of the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026 (OCOG), was also to become the Olympic track for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton in February 2026.
The track was named after the most successful Italian bobsleigh racer Eugenio Monti and was made famous by the film James Bond 007 - "For Your Eyes Only".
After the aging Olympic track was not homologated by the international federations IBSF and FIL, the traditional track in Cortina was closed in January 2008.
Following the announcement of the OC for Milano-Cortina as the venues for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the renovation of the track for the luge, bobsleigh and skeleton competitions was announced. This renovation was intended to add a new chapter to Cortina's Olympic history.
Demolition work on the old track began in March 2023. The costs for the renovation, originally estimated at 41.8 million euros in 2018 for the Olympic bid, had already grown to almost 100 million euros by then.
In December 2023, Matteo Salvini, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, told the AFP news agency: "The Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina must be Italian Olympic Games". In spring 2024, construction work finally began for a new Olympic track in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
