Olympics Chief Warns Italy 'Not Ready' as Snow Gun Failures Threaten 2026 Games

Less than 50 days before the Winter Olympics open in Italy, the head of the world's most powerful skiing body has delivered a blunt message: the host country isn't ready.

Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski Federation, has raised serious concerns about critical delays in snow production at Livigno, one of the key venues for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games.

Speaking on Saturday from Val d'Isère, where Alpine skiing World Cup events were taking place, Eliasch said organisers are struggling to create the artificial snow needed for freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions. According to BBC Sport, he placed the blame squarely on the Italian government.

'Unfortunately, the Italian government hasn't released any funds, so organisers are struggling to make ends meet, which is a real shame,' the Swedish-British executive said. 'It's inexplicable.'

26 Gold Medals at Risk as Snow Production Stalls

The venues at stake aren't minor. Livigno Snow Park and the Aerials and Moguls Park will host competitions with 26 gold medals up for grabs when the Games run from 6 to 22 February. Without enough artificial snow to build the halfpipes and jumps these events require, those competitions could be in jeopardy.

Eliasch insisted his federation isn't sitting idle. 'We have a plan B, a plan C, and a plan D,' he said. 'But it's unfortunate to find ourselves in a situation we should never have been in. We call them three times a day - morning, noon, and night.'

That level of frustration is rare from an Olympic sports chief less than two months before a Games. But Eliasch went further, telling reporters that 'not everything is ready' and that Italian authorities 'have a lot of work to do and they need to speed things up.'

Ski Chief Reveals Daily Calls to Italian Organisers Over Delays

The technical challenge is significant. Livigno's snow cannons draw water from the Monte Sponda reservoir, but production was supposed to have started last week.

The South China Morning Post reported that the situation is unprecedented, with snow-making equipment sitting unused whilst organisers wait for government clearance.

Local officials, however, are pushing back hard against the criticism.

Livigno mayor Remo Galli flatly rejected Eliasch's claims about funding delays, instead blaming a technical fault. Speaking to Italian news agency ANSA, Galli said a faulty valve caused the holdup but has since been replaced. 'We'll have all the snow we need to have a great Olympics,' the mayor said. 'In fact, we'll have much more.'

Galli added that snow guns have been operating for several evenings and that plunging temperatures - forecast to drop as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius - will only help production. 'We're doing well, for Livigno and for Italy,' he insisted. 'I'm not at all worried.'

So who's right? The disconnect between the ski federation chief and local officials suggests either a serious communication breakdown or a dispute over what constitutes adequate preparation. Either way, it's not the image Italy wants to project with the Olympic torch currently making its way through the country's 110 provinces.

NHL Issues Separate Warning Over Milan Ice Hockey Arena Quality

The snow crisis isn't the only cloud hanging over Italy's Olympic preparations. Earlier this month, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly issued his own warning: ice hockey players wouldn't participate if quality issues at Milan's new arena weren't fixed, The Japan Times reported.

The Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena has faced construction delays, raising doubts about whether it will be ready for February.

This will be Italy's fourth Winter Olympics, following Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956 and Turin in 2006. The country has experience hosting the world's best winter athletes. But with global scrutiny building and opening ceremonies scheduled for Milan's San Siro Stadium on 6 February, organisers are running out of time to prove the doubters wrong.

Whether those contingency plans Eliasch mentioned will be needed remains unclear. What's certain is that the world will be watching closely when the first competitors arrive in Livigno to test the snow - assuming there's enough of it.