The Milan Olympics Has a Backup Plan.It's in Upstate New York.

Winter Olympics won the right to host the Games, they promised athletes the sophistication of Milan, the snow-capped alps of Cortina d'Ampezzo, and access to a two-week, pasta-fueled celebration of all things Italian.

- JOSHUA ROBINSON

WHEN THE HOSTS OF THE 2026

The only catch is that some of those athletes may have to enjoy the party from Upstate New York.

That's where the luge, bobsled, and skeleton Olympians of 2026 will all end up should the MilanoCortina organizers fail in their race against the clock to deliver a usable track. This month, Lake Placid was officially designated as the Plan B site for sliding sports at the Milan Olympics in the event the facilities aren't ready-never mind that it's 4,000 miles from Milan.

"Of course, I would love to compete in Cortina," four-time U.S bobsled Olympian Elana Meyers Taylor wrote in an email. "But the draw of competing at my home track one final time is amazing." Milano-Cortina organizers insist that their track will be built on schedule for the Games, which begin on Feb. 6, 2026. They hope to obtain one stamp of approval next March and final certification in the fall of next year. But nothing about the process has gone smoothly. The first sign of how tricky this would be came shortly after Milano-Cortina won the hosting rights and issued a tender for companies to take on the sliding center project, only to receive zero bids.