Cortina’s Olympic Bob Track: A Monument to Madness or Misplaced Ambition?
Between construction delays and accusations of sabotage, Cortina’s Eugenio Monti bobsled track is almost ready—or so they say. The recent inauguration was held with just 75% of the work completed, a fitting symbol for a project mired in controversy.
Veneto President Luca Zaia, flanked by Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, grandly declared the track “our Guggenheim,” while Salvini drew lofty comparisons to Brunelleschi’s dome—an Italian feat of engineering that defied skeptics. But unlike Florence’s iconic cathedral, this €118 million (and counting) bobsled run—initially budgeted at €80 million—has critics questioning whether it will stand the test of time or become another white elephant.
Built on the skeleton of the historic 1920s track that hosted the 1956 Olympics, the new 1,730-meter viper-like course twists through the Ampezzo Valley. Yet its future beyond the 2026 Games remains uncertain, much like its abandoned Turin 2006 counterpart, Cesana-Pariol. Restoring the old track to modern standards could have saved a third of the cost, but Italy opted for demolition and rebuild—a stark contrast to Paris 2024, which will rent Turin’s speed skating oval rather than construct a new one.
In an era obsessed with sustainability, the project has bulldozed centuries-old larch forests, carved into mountainsides, and birthed what some call an “eco-monster.” Critics argue the funds could have bolstered year-round mountain communities instead of betting on vanishing snow economies.
Zaia himself called it a “monument to madness.”
For once, everyone agrees.
