Igls not an issue

Olympics: US ice channel instead of Tyrol as plan B

Luge star Madeleine Egle in front of the newly built women's start.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

A bombshell before the 2026 Olympics! If the new ice track in Cortina d'Ampezzo is not completed in time for the 2026 Games, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton will compete for medals in Lake Placid. Austria's ice channel athletes had long hoped that the Igl track would be chosen as a back-up.

Race in Lake Placid, medal ceremony in New York. With this advertising slogan, the two-time US Olympic city (1932 and 1980) has convinced the IOC bosses.

US media report that the small winter sports resort in the Adirondack Mountains has been selected as Plan B for the 2026 Games. "The state of New York is honored. We will now work out a detailed concept with the Italians to be ready as a back-up," said Governor Kathy Hochul.

Italians under time pressure
After a long hiccup, a new ice channel is currently being built in Cortina d'Ampezzo at record speed. In the event that the Italians fail - as expected by many observers - bobsleigh, luge and skeleton will now take place on the track at Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The decision is a blow for Austria, as the Igl ice track would only be 160 kilometers away from Cortina d'Ampezzo and the almost 50-year-old track is currently being modernized at a cost of around 29 million euros. The Luge World Cup at the beginning of December already took place with the new start for women and doubles.

They are in the race because they said: We'll pay for everything, the Olympic competitions won't cost the IOC a cent.

Thomas Schwab (Vorstandschef des deutschen Bob- und Schlitten-Verbandes)

But it wasn't just the Tyrolean bid that fell through, Switzerland with its legendary natural ice track in St. Moritz was also passed over. Thomas Schwab (CEO of the German Bobsleigh and Luge Association) criticized the US proposal in the German media in advance: "They are in the race because they said: We'll pay for everything, the Olympic competitions won't cost the IOC a cent."

However, if Cortina is not chosen as the venue, the ice track circus will now have to fight for Olympic medals in 16 competitions in Lake Placid, more than 6300 (!) kilometers away.

Melbourne and Paris as "role models"
However, this would not be the first time that competitions have been held far away from the Games. Melbourne 1956 had the equestrian events in Sweden, Paris 2024 sent the surfers to Tahiti.