The Cortina Sliding Centre also known as the Eugenio Monti Olympic Sliding Centre is a well-known Bobsleigh, skeleton and Luge track, situated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, used for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The sliding centre takes its name from Eugenio Monti (1928–2003), an Italian bobsledder and six-time Olympic medallist. The history of sliding sports in Cortina d’Ampezzo dates back to the early 20th century, when bobsleigh activities were introduced in the town.
The original Eugenio Monti track was developed in stages and hosted its first major International competition at the 1928 International University Winter Games. It was subsequently renovated in 1936 to bring it closer to the standards of major international tracks, including those at St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Further reconstruction took place after the Second World War, with major work carried out in 1948, including rebuilding the curves and strengthening the track.
The historic track hosted bobsleigh at the 1956 Winter Olympics and later became an important venue for international competitions, including the 1981 FIBT World Championships. The original track was eventually closed in 2008.
For the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, a new sliding centre was constructed on the historic site. The modern track is approximately 1,445 metres long and has 16 curves. The new facility preserves the connection with the historic Eugenio Monti track while meeting modern international competition standards.
Trivia
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The 2011 FIBT World Championships was supposed to be held in the Eugenio Monti track but the track lost the bid due to some issues with the City of Cortina.
