Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Winter Olympians who have signed up to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Athletes Village should not expect luxury accommodation or a cozy fire after a long day on the mountain.
The temporary village will house 1,400 athletes and other team members from February 6-22 match Cortina Games consists of 377 rental mobile homes located close to each other on a humid valley floor.
The Associated Press was the first international media outlet allowed to get an early look at the facility, which is in a non-populated area about a 10-minute drive or 1-hour walk north of downtown Cortina.
The rooms are simple and restrained.
However, in return for convenience comes close contact dolomites,
Fabio Saldini, the Italian government commissioner overseeing the infrastructure for the Games, said, “It is located in a very quiet area of Cortina, where you have the opportunity to listen to the sounds of the mountains, to isolate yourself if you want, to concentrate if you want, or to go out for a pleasant workout.”
Saldini said, “The beauty of this kind of village lies in the fact that everything will be removed later. Nothing is permanent; the environment will not return to its previous state but will be improved.” “It is a temporary village, but of high design.”
Providing accommodation for athletes is one of the most important responsibilities for Olympic organisers. This is especially challenging for geographically dispersed Milan Cortina games. Cortina’s Trailer Park is one of the two main Olympic villages – the other being in Milan.
winter sports powerhouse norway have opted to house their skiers in hotels rather than official Olympic villages, according to Norwegian news agency NTB.
The US and several other countries, such as Germany and host Italy, said their athletes would stay in villages, although it is unlikely that alpine superstars Lindsey Vonn or Mikaela Shiffrin will stay in a mobile home park in Cortina.
Cortina will host women’s alpine skiing, curling, bobsled, luge and skeleton during the Games. It will be necessary for the village also paralympicsWhich will be held on 6-15 March.
“Most countries will use the village – for the living part and above all for the common areas like the gym,” Saldini said. “Even people living outside the village will come here.”
exposed to the elements
Each trailer is divided into two rooms, each room holds a maximum of two people. Each room has its own bathroom and shower. But open the trailer door and athletes may be faced with a biting wind each morning – or they may be faced with unforgettable images of sunlight reflecting off jagged mountain peaks.
Warm shoes – not slippers – may be the best attire for walking to the large cafeteria for breakfast. Anyone living in trailers near the outskirts of the 1.4-kilometre-long (almost mile long) village will have a 10-minute walk to the common areas – including a gym, game room, offices, relaxation areas and a laundromat.
A blizzard during AP’s visit in late November resulted in blizzard-like conditions, with no permanent buildings to block the wind.
However, February brings more hours of sunshine to the area.
The altitude of the village area is 1,292 meters (4,239 ft) – slightly higher than that of downtown Cortina.
“It’s just forest here,” said Paride Casagrande, the village’s construction manager. “Wind is an element. But it doesn’t blow all day every day. It depends on the day. There can be very cold days and there can be very comfortable days. But the fact is that we are in a natural area where it is cold.”
personalized heating
When organizers of the Paris Summer Olympics announced they would not provide air conditioners in the athletes’ village, the US and other teams brought their own machines – thwarting plans to cut carbon emissions.
This time no one will have to bring their own climate-control machines.
Each room at Cortina Village has its own heating controls.
A thermostat controls the wall-mounted heating unit and there’s also an infrared panel on the ceiling that helps maintain the temperature – both run on electricity.
“Without more power, the temperature can be brought down to 25-26 degrees Celsius (77-79 Fahrenheit), which is what is needed,” Casagrande said.
“But that’s all subjective, considering I see athletes walking around outside in their underwear, even if it’s snowing,” Casagrande said, referring to competitors slipping into town for a testing event. “The choice is up to the athletes.”
gold on wheels
Casagrande said each mobile home moves on at least two wheels, which are used only for positioning, not transportation.
The houses were brought to Cortina by oversized trucks.
All rooms are approximately 18 square meters (200 sq ft), with one of the two rooms in each mobile home being slightly larger than the other to accommodate the Paralympians.
Paralympians’ rooms also have handicapped accessible showers, toilets and beds.
Cost and legacy
The total cost of the village is 38 million euros ($44 million).
While mobile homes are being rented out, purchasing one will cost up to 80,000 euros ($93,000).
After the Olympics and Paralympics, the mobile homes will be reused at camping sites around Italy, some of them already outfitted for a hockey club in nearby Brunico.
environmental impact
Large buildings for the cafeteria, gym and other common areas – even temporary – are already being heated by a thermal power plant running on natural gas that also heats the village’s water supply. Air handling units located at the top of buildings control air.
Trees were cut to establish the village, which was met with some opposition from climate activists.
“Most of them were already dead,” Casagrande said. “But we also brought in new plants and (trees)… This is a natural park and we will leave it just as we found it.”
,
Andrew Dampf is at https://x.com/AndrewDampf
,
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics