Ghedina satisfied with the meeting with Mattarella and the ministers “Two years after the assignment, the works can no longer wait”
CORTINA. «It was an important and exciting day. Time is running out, so the meetings we had in Rome were an opportunity to underline that there is a hurry and that the whole administrative process must accelerate ».
Thus the Mayor of Cortina, Gianpietro Ghedina comments on the meeting that the Steering Committee of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics had first at the Quirinale with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, and then with the Minister of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility, Enrico Giovannini, the Deputy Minister Alessandro Morelli and Undersecretary of Sport Valentina Vezzali. It was always an interview linked to the Olympics, but from a more technical point of view, namely that of infrastructural works.
“Mattarella thanked us for having obtained such an important result for Italy”, explains Ghedina, “In addition, he reassured us, confirming maximum availability to continue the journey that, with the creation of the necessary infrastructures, will lead us to the Olympics. and at the 2026 Paralympics. As promoting institutions, with the president of Coni Giovanni Malagò, we illustrated the progress of the works to Mattarella and, once more, showed the complete harmony between the Regions, Autonomous Provinces and Municipalities involved which, since first steps of the candidacy, they were able to walk united and determined towards the goal. It is the same spirit that must guide us in the coming years for the good of our communities and to enhance the territories and the entire country ».
At the Ministry of Infrastructure the real problems have been touched: that is, the tightness of time with the Olympic Agency stuck at the stake.
«Almost two years have passed since the awarding of the Games and between changes of government and pandemic we find ourselves unable to wait any longer to start with the works. We reiterated this to the ministry and took stock of the Olympic Agency which is the structure that will have to take care of implementing the planned works. And we are talking about important works such as the Cortina and Longarone ring road. The government is demonstrating the will to want to do well. Now there will be a real acceleration. In days the appointment of the members of the Olympic Agency, Wednesday in Rome a new meeting with the Undersecretariat Vezzali and the Deputy Minister Morelli to define the priorities on sporting works. Then we will also meet online every 15 days. Two years were lost, but today I had the clear feeling that we are racing and we want to arrive prepared to show that Italy is up to a great event like the Winter Games ».
The Olympics for Cortina also mean the remaking of the bobsleigh track which will become the home of bobsledding and skeleton.
«Both the president of Veneto, Zaia, and I», Ghedina commented, «we reaffirmed the desire to carry on the project that was in the candidacy dossier with which we obtained the Games. We will not build cathedrals in the desert, but a structure financed by the Region that will remainwas open all year round. In Cortina we also have the will to create an Olympic museum that tells the story of the 1956 Games and those that we will organize 70 years later ».