Livigno, Italy : As the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach, serious concerns have arisen over snow levels and preparation work at Livigno, the Alpine resort set to host multiple freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions in February’s Games.
According to reporting by BBC Sport, fears are growing that insufficient snow coverage–both natural and artificial–could affect the readiness of the competition courses in Livigno unless organisers accelerate their work.
FIS Chief Issues a Warning
Johan Eliasch, President of the International Ski Federation (FIS), has raised the alarm about snow preparations at Livigno, particularly around the production of artificial snow needed to build halfpipes, jumps, moguls, and other competition terrain.
Eliasch told reporters that organisers are facing delays in creating enough snow and that the situation “is inexplicable,” noting that necessary government funds had not yet been released, making it difficult to complete snowmaking infrastructure in time. This quote and detail come directly from reporting by BBC Sport.
He added that his federation has multiple contingency plans (Plan B, Plan C, Plan D) in place, but underscored that preparations should never have reached this point so late in the build-up to the Games.
Why Snow Matters in Livigno
Livigno’s Snow Park and the Aerials & Moguls Park are critical venues for the Olympics, hosting events where athletes will compete for 26 gold medals between 6 and 22 February 2026. Both natural snow and artificial snowmaking are essential because at this stage of the season the natural snowfall has been modest and cannot reliably cover all competition terrain.
Artificial snow production is a sophisticated process requiring water, cold temperatures, and time to shape competition-ready surfaces. Without it, organisers cannot complete course testing and athlete training ahead of the event.
Local Officials Respond
Livigno’s mayor, Remo Galli, has publicly rejected the harsher interpretations of the snow concerns, downplaying the idea that the issue is a lack of preparation and instead pointing to a technical delay that has since been addressed.
“We’ll have all the snow we need to have a great Olympics. In fact, we’ll have much more,” Galli said, according to local Italian media reports. He explained that snowmaking equipment is now operational and that cooler temperatures forecast in the coming weeks will help accelerate snow production.
With the Games now less than two months away, organisers are working around the clock to ensure that snowmaking and venue construction meet international standards. Monitoring conditions and making rapid adjustments has become a priority, especially given the high stakes of Olympic competition.
The coming weeks will be decisive in determining whether Livigno can produce and maintain sufficient snow cover to host world-class freestyle skiing and snowboarding events. While officials remain confident, the FIS warning reflects how complex and challenging Olympic preparations have become, particularly in an era of increasingly unpredictable winter weather.
Livigno’s winter sports venues, including the Mottolino Snowpark and Carosello 3000 area, are among Italy’s premier freestyle terrain, chosen for their elevation, tradition, and infrastructure.
Snowmaking systems are in place and drawing water from nearby reservoirs, but they require freezing temperatures to operate effectively.
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