Matteo Salvini said that the Italian government will do everything possible to host the Games.GETTY IMAGES
Italian Deputy PM Matteo Salvini "threw his weight behind an Italian Olympic bid" for the 2026 Winter Olympics a day after Turin withdrew from the process, according to Aaron Bauer of AROUND THE RINGS. Turin's withdrawal "left officials scrambling to save a potential Olympic bid," but the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said that it would "press forward" with a bid from Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The three cities had political discussions about cost and venue sharing, but "a sticking point about the name led to Turin's departure." The political infighting led Italian Undersecretary to the PM Giancarlo Giorgetti, who has a mandate for sport, to declare the bid was "dead." Immediately, presidents from the Veneto and Lombardy regions of Italy declared support for a Milan and Cortina joint bid saying that "we are willing to carry forward this challenge together." Salvini said that the national government "would support" a 2026 Winter Olympics bid. Salvini: "The Olympics bring lots of money and investment advantages. We will work to get everyone to agree, doing everything possible to have them hosted in Italy" (AROUND THE RINGS, 9/19).
