Final preparations for the Olympics are underway in Milan. What the media is writing
The final preparations for the Winter Olympic Games, which will officially begin on February 6, are coming to an end in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Before their start, the head of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, hinted at the possible return of Russian athletes. The main scandal of the competition was the arrival of the American immigration police. What the world's media are writing about the upcoming Olympics is in the Izvestia digest.
The Guardian: the head of the IOC gave a signal about Russia's participation in the 2028 Olympic Games
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry has given the clearest signal to date that Russia may return to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The day after the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, announced his desire to return Russia, Coventry, in her opening speech at the 145th IOC Congress in Milan, argued that all athletes should be allowed to compete — regardless of the behavior of their governments.
The Guardian
Without mentioning Russia directly, Coventry said, "Throughout the campaign and in many of our subsequent conversations, I've heard the same thing from many of you: focus on our core business. We are a sports organization. We understand politics and we know that we don't operate in a vacuum. But our game is a sport. This means maintaining a neutral environment for sports. Places where every athlete can compete freely without being limited by politics or disagreements in their governments."
There was a general consensus in Milan that Coventry was referring to Russia's exclusion from the IOC. Her comments were quickly welcomed by Russian IOC member Shamil Tarpyshev, who confirmed a significant improvement in relations with the IOC. In December, the IOC recommended that sports governing bodies allow Russian young athletes to participate in international competitions again under their own flag and national anthem. 13 Russians will perform under a neutral flag in Milan.
The New York Times: How is security at the Olympics ensured?
For the authorities responsible for ensuring the safety of the Winter Olympic Games, which begin this week in northern Italy, the moment of winning the gold medal will come even before the start of the competition itself. The opening ceremony on Friday will attract billions of spectators and will bring together a galaxy of dignitaries at Milan's San Siro Stadium for the grand opening of the Games.
The New York Times
The ceremony will bring together more than 1,000 artists who have spent hundreds of hours rehearsing, and will become Italy's hallmark for the whole world. Securing this show, which will also include simultaneous events at Olympic venues in the mountains around Cortina and Livigno, requires one of the largest and most complex security operations in Italian history, involving 6,000 police and security personnel, as well as a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles and robots for inspections.
At the same time, information that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers would accompany American officials to the Olympic Games caused a wave of outrage in Italy. ICE's presence in Italy was the biggest diplomatic conflict before the Games. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said the Italian government should block the activities of ICE, which he called a militia that commits "criminal acts."
Reuters: Olympic Games in Milan cost more than expected
Preparations for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan were more expensive than originally planned, and the deadlines were almost impossible, but the organizers managed to realize most of their plans, Games Director General Andrea Varnier said on Tuesday. Italian organizers are still rushing to complete the construction of some facilities in time for the opening ceremony on Friday, facing intense pressure and a growing budget.
Reuters
Initially, about $1.3 billion was allocated for the Games, but this amount has grown to more than $1.7 billion, as well as other related infrastructure costs, including $3.5 billion in public funds. "This path has turned out to be even more difficult than initially anticipated, with difficulties and trials both expected and unexpected and probably unnecessary," Varnier told the IOC in his final report on the preparations before the start of the Games.
Milan's initial application included several existing or temporary sites, but in the middle of the preparation, the organizers decided to build a new bobsleigh center, which was associated with extremely tight deadlines. The construction met fierce resistance from the IOC, which wanted the host country to use the existing site, possibly in a neighboring country, given that there are luge centers in Austria, Switzerland, France, as well as in neighboring Germany.
Bloomberg: What will the Olympic Games be like without snow
The snow that covered the Italian Alps during January was a huge relief for the organizers of the Winter Olympic Games. The unusually warm weather during the holidays made them fear that the slopes would not be ready on time. Alpine areas are warming faster than the rest of the planet, and winters are getting shorter, leading to less snow and more rain, as well as periods of severe frosts and poor visibility. The wide range of possible conditions and their increasing unpredictability make planning this quadrennial winter sports event more difficult than ever.
Bloomberg
The host cities, with the support of local and national authorities, are investing millions of dollars in sophisticated artificial snowmaking systems to create and maintain optimal coverage in the hope of avoiding even more costly cancellations or postponements of competitions. However, the IOC may eventually have to distribute hosting of the Centennial Games among a small group of countries with the most favorable climate to minimize complications.
In all the cities that have hosted the Winter Olympics since 1950, the air temperature has increased by an average of 2.7 degrees over the years. This is significantly higher than the average annual warming of 1.4 degrees on the entire planet. If greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, 13% of the world's ski resorts will completely lose their natural snow cover by 2071-2100. Already, many resorts located at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,300 m above sea level are closing or trying to focus on hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor activities at any time of the year.
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