Cortina 2026: the environmental cost of the new bobsleigh track

The starting point of this story is the historic Eugenio Monti track, a symbol of world bobsleigh that made history at the 1956 Olympics. After decades of glory, the facility was closed in 2008 due to unsustainable management costs and the technical complexity of ammonia refrigeration systems. For nearly twenty years, the track remained a "concrete ghost" in the woods, a relic of sports archaeology that many hoped to see simply restored. However, international regulations and modern safety standards pushed in a different direction: not a simple conservative restoration, but an almost total demolition and reconstruction. This decision marked the end of a romantic connection with the past, transforming a piece of history into a modern construction site, paving the way for a project of infinitely greater dimensions and impact compared to the original track.

What has arisen in place of the old Monti is an engineering colossus of 1,650 metres, designed to defy gravity and speed records. The new track is a concentration of extreme technology, built in record time to avoid relocating the races abroad. One of the technical strengths is the abandonment of dangerous ammonia in favour of a glycol refrigeration system, considered safer and less impactful in the event of leaks. However, behind the innovation lies a reality made of thousands of cubic metres of reinforced concrete that have reshaped the valley's profile. It is a permanent footprint, a structure that requires enormous energy expenditure to maintain the ice at constant temperatures, even under the spring sun. The technical challenge has been met, but the visual and structural impact on the Ampezzo basin remains a strong contrast to the narrative of a "green" Olympics.

The aspect that has most shaken public opinion, earning the tragic nickname "Laricide," was the felling of approximately 500 ancient larches. These trees were not only part of the landscape but represented a mature ecosystem and a vital lung for the Ronco area. Their removal has forever changed the face of the slope, eliminating natural barriers against noise and wind. For the detractors, the sacrifice of plants that have lived for over a century is an unacceptable price for an event that lasts only a few weeks. Although compensation works and the planting of new trees are planned, the loss of the original biodiversity and the historical value of those specimens cannot be recovered in the short term. It is an open wound that continues to generate protests and has turned the construction site into a symbol of environmental resistance against large infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, the analysis with the XNatura platform demonstrates that the criticality of the intervention concerns not only deforestation but also its geographical vulnerability. The construction site is surrounded by protected areas and Natura 2000 network sites within just 2 km. This proximity triggers a dangerous "edge effect": noise, night lights, and vibrations degrade extremely delicate habitats beyond the perimeter of the track. The data also show a clear fragmentation of ecological corridors: the project acts as an artificial barrier that disrupts the natural flows of local species. Building the Sliding Centre in such a vital natural node compromises the integrity of protected areas, highlighting a serious error in territorial planning.

The question lingering over the woods of Cortina concerns the "legacy," or the inheritance that will remain for the area after the Olympic torch is extinguished. The real risk is that the new track will follow the fate of the one in Cesana for Turin 2006: an extremely expensive facility that became an abandoned concrete desert within a few years. With maintenance costs estimated at over a million euros per year, the economic sustainability appears as uncertain as the environmental one. To prevent it from becoming a "white elephant," the Region is focusing on year-round tourist and sporting use, including attractions like the taxi-bob. However, there remains doubt as to whether such a small community can truly support such a giant. Cortina's gamble is immense: to demonstrate that this scar on the landscape can turn into a real opportunity, avoiding the sacrifice of the 500 larches becoming merely a pointless damage to a heritage that belongs to everyone.