Expenses for the Winter Olympics in Italy exceeded $5 billion

Ирэн Орлонская Sports
VK X OK WhatsApp Telegram
According to information from Reuters, preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, have resulted in significantly higher costs than expected. The main factors contributing to the budget increase were the rising prices of construction materials and the tight deadlines for project implementation.

The CEO of the organizing committee, Andrea Varnier, stated that the initially planned expenses have risen considerably. At the application stage in 2019, the budget was estimated at $1.3 billion, but by the time of the Olympics' opening, it had already increased to $1.7 billion. The majority of the expenses fell on the state treasury: investments in infrastructure, including roads and new sports facilities, amounted to an additional $3.5 billion.

Read more on the topic
The 2026 Winter Olympics: Kyrgyzstan will be represented by two athletes

Organizers noted that the preparation for the games turned out to be more complicated than initially planned. One of the main issues was the construction of the bobsleigh and luge track in Cortina, which faced numerous difficulties.

Despite the recommendations from the International Olympic Committee to utilize existing sports facilities in neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland, Italy insisted on building its own sports center. The cost of this project rose from the initial 50 million euros to 120 million euros. Additionally, the construction of the Santa Giulia hockey arena in Milan was completed in a rush, and it was commissioned just a few weeks before the start of the competitions.
VK X OK WhatsApp Telegram

Read also: