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≡ ENOUGH LIVIGNO SNOW? ≡
After complaints from International Ski & Snowboard Federation head Johan Eliasch (GBR) about snow production for the Freestyle skiing venue in Livigno ahead of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy, a news conference was held there on Monday.
Eliasch told the Italian news agency ANSA that FIS has concerns over snow preparation for Freestyle skiing in Livigno at the Winter Games:
“The Italian government and the regions organizing the Games still have a lot of work to do and need to speed up the process. There’s a problem with snow production, and there have been delays. Unfortunately, the Italian government hasn’t allocated any funds, so [the organizers] are struggling to make ends meet, which is a shame. We call them three times a day: morning, noon, and evening.”
On Monday, Livigno Mayor Remo Galli, Alessandro Morelli, Italian Undersecretary of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the head of the SIMICO construction oversight group, Fabio Saldini spoke to reporters, and Saldini explained:
“Snow production was scheduled to begin on December 20th. On December 12th, at night, a problem arose: a pipe broke, as happens with construction site management.
“After five days, it was fixed. We brought forward snow production, and to date, we’ve met the start date. We’re filling the reservoir with approximately 14,000 cubic meters of water per day, so we can guarantee 28,000 cubic meters of snow per day. The 53 cannons are all in perfect working order, so we can produce 3,500 cubic meters of snow per hour.
“To date, approximately 160,000 cubic meters of snow have already been produced on the system, and I’m keeping my promise to deliver the Livigno Snow Park to the community by January 20th, so that the test event can be held between January 20th and 25th. For me and SIMICO, Livigno has represented the emblem of the Olympics, and of unity in times of difficulty.
“Here we have found a community capable of reacting to all the difficulties that life throws at us. We have not suffered the complexity, but we have managed it at all. On the other Carosello slope, the Livigno Aerials and Moguls, we are producing 210,000 cubic meters of snow – as requested by the FIS and the IOC – and the overall production will be 910,000 cubic meters of snow guaranteed for January 18-19.
“In conclusion, I must say that all the problems that arose, which are part of the normal management of construction activities, have been brilliantly resolved without leaving any traces.”
The Milan Cortina Games have been under pressure on construction projects, most especially the new sliding track in Cortina, which has been completed, and the new PalaItalia Santagiulia ice hockey arena, which is being privately financed and built and is to host a test tournament from 9-11 January.
Now, the Livigno Freestyle site is under criticism, but Saldini is once again expressing confidence in the outcome.
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