Milano Cortina Winter Games back on track as concerns over snow ease – FIS chief

PARIS, Jan 6 : ‌Preparations for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are back on schedule, with snow making and infrastructure work progressing well across all venues, International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) president Johan Eliasch said.

Speaking to Reuters one month before the start of the February 6-22 Games, Eliasch said recent cold temperatures had helped organisers address earlier concerns over snow farming and snow making at key sites including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio and Val di Fiemme.

“Yes, it has,” Eliasch said when asked whether his confidence had grown. “The preparations are advancing very well. We’ve had cold temperatures, which helps. And right now, it looks like ‌there should be no issue to complete everything on time as planned. So that’s very ‌good news.”

Italian authorities and organisers have faced mounting scrutiny over delays, funding gaps and climate-related risks ahead of the Games, particularly after a warm start to the winter raised doubts about snow reliability.

Eliasch said snow security remained partly dependent on weather conditions but stressed that organisers had the technical capacity and resources in place to manage risks.

“We are in the hands of the gods but you also need the resources for snow making, and the capabilities that are necessary here are in place,” Eliasch said. “So from that perspective... it’s all looking good.”

He ‍added that contingency planning was standard practice at major events, with reserve days built into competition schedules to deal with heavy snowfall or adverse weather that could disrupt races.

“That happens all the time,” Eliasch said. “I mean, we’re very used to that. It happens during the world championships. Sometimes it happens also during the