Bobsleigh officials rave about Cortina track, a good sign for 2026 Olympic events being held there

Italy appears to be one big step closer to having the sliding events at next year's Milan-Cortina Olympics on its own track after all.

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation said Friday that it has declared this week's testing period at the Cortina d'Ampezzo track "successful" and that it looks forward to the 2026 Olympics being held at the rebuilt track.

That's not the official word — that will likely come from the International Olympic Committee — but it is the strongest suggestion yet that Cortina's ambitious construction project will bring the Olympic bobsleigh, skeleton and luge races there and not require the Plan B site of Lake Placid, New York.

About 60 sliders from 12 countries, half of them from Italy, tested the track this week in what is called pre-homologation. The reports from those sliders, evidently, were positive.

"Minor adaptions still need to be done and the main focus must remain on the finalization of the construction works," IBSF president Ivo Ferriani said in a news release distributed Friday. "The feedback we received from our technical experts and the coaches and athletes on site this week, has been very positive. We are thrilled about this outcome and the entire bobsleigh and skeleton community cannot wait to come back here for our World Cup in November, further training — and then of course the pinnacle of all competition, the Olympic Games."

Work is scheduled to continue at the site until Nov. 5, at which time the facility — which still needs a roof and event-support buildings — will be handed over to Milan-Cortina organizers.

Simico, the Italian government agency in charge of the 118 million euro project, reported positive results for the test runs. But it will be officials from