Milano Cortina 2026 brings light and shadow for the FIL

Salzburg (FIL) The Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, which will be held from 6 to 22 February 2026, will be the most gender-balanced Olympic Winter Games in history. The sports and events programme of the 2026 Winter Olympics will include a record number of women's competitions and will be the most balanced edition of the Winter Olympics to date, with women accounting for 47 per cent of the total. With the new luge event "women's doubles", the female duos at the Olympic luge competitions in Cortina d'Ampezzo will contribute to the desired gender equality.

The FIL Presidium is very pleased about the inclusion of women's doubles in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, but regrets the decision to not include natural track luge.

FIL President Einars Fogelis reports on the IOC Sports Department's decision of the FIL application to include natural track luge in the Olympic programme: "Within the framework of the Milano Cortina 2026 Programme Principles, which reflect both the Olympic Charter, the recommendations of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and the vision of the IOC and Milano Cortina 2026 for the Games, we are delighted about the inclusion of women's doubles on artificial track, but regret the rejection for natural track luge. The IOC Executive Board decided not to include natural track luge in the programme as it does not meet the Milano Cortina 2026 programme principles, both in terms of quotas (maintaining the overall quota of 2,900 athletes, giving priority to new events that include athletes within the sport's existing quota allocation) and venues (new events only if they do not require additional venues for the Games)," said President Fogelis.