Climate concerns cast doubt over the future of Winter Olympics

As Olympic competition intensifies at Milano–Cortina, global warming is casting a long shadow over the future of the Winter Games. Climate change is putting into question their format, timing and the viable host countries. Could Switzerland’s proposed low-impact 2038 edition be a path forward? The 2026 Winter Games opened with heavy snowfall in Cortina d’Ampezzo, northern Italy, but temperatures are rising and the snow is slowly melting. Since Cortina last hosted in 1956, average February temperatures have climbed by 3.6° degrees Celsius, and forecasts predict more above-average temperatures during this month’s competition. Overall, researchers warn that the number of reliable Winter Games hosts is shrinking. A 2024 study found that of 93 mountain locations able to host elite winter sports today, only about 30 may remain by the 2080s, depending on how global emissions develop until then. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) prioritises hosts with at least 80% existing venues ...