Tyrolean daily newspaper, editorial, edition of December 4, 2023. By PETER NINDLER. "Olympic megalomania".

2023-12-03 21:00:35

Innsbruck (OTS) – Bobsleigh, tobogganing or skeleton are not mass-market sports, but they are Olympic. New railways cost enormous amounts of money, and after the Cortina debacle the question of meaning could arise. Do we still need an ice track at the Olympics?

How out of touch is the debate about the 2026 Olympic ice track competitions in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan. How simple is the criticism that Tyrol and Innsbruck-Igls offer themselves as an alternative. And how cowardly the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and the Luge Federation act with their restraint. Although the construction of new Olympic bobsleigh and toboggan runs symbolizes a megalomania that is no longer appropriate in times of climate crisis and global social awareness.
Cortina wanted to build, but failed to implement it. The decision will be made on Tuesday as to whether the partially dismantled 2006 Olympic ice track in Cesana will be reactivated for tens of millions of euros. Only to then fall into disrepair again, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) fears. Sustainability looks different. A lot of public money is also flowing into the Igler Ice Canal; it is to be made internationally fit again with 28 million euros. For decades.
That’s somehow a luxury, because the ice track above Innsbruck will never be a crowd puller anyway. Just for comparison: There are 7,000 luge athletes worldwide, while in Tyrol alone, 10,000 girls and boys play football in youth teams. No matter how the ice channel theater turns out for 2026, whether it ultimately takes place in Cesana, Innsbruck-Igls, St. Moritz or La Plagne in France: the responsible world associations are playing with fire because they prefer to rely on diplomatic silence on the ice channel instead of clear ones Announcements. If Cortina/Milan is unable to make a decision and the IOC rejects Cesana, then at least the IBSF (bobsleigh and skeleton) and the FIL (tobogganing) should propose a track. Ultimately, it’s about their athletes and their Olympic competitions.
Ultimately, after the Cortina debacle, the question of meaning remains: Do bobsleigh, tobogganing and skeleton still have to be part of the Olympics in the future? The infrastructure required for this consumes huge sums of money that are disproportionate to the external impact of these sports. There are currently 16 tracks available worldwide, but building new ones makes no sense given their manageable appeal.
Or the Olympic officials, who are often removed from reality, are finally changing course. Which will inevitably be the case due to the climate. The Olympics will only take place where the competition venues are already available and in good condition. Or across borders. As Stockholm intended to do with its 2030 bid. The ice track competitions were supposed to take place on the traditional Latvian track in Sigulda.