In one year’s time Italy will be welcoming the world to the Winter Olympics, but a sizeable number of athletes could instead be competing for medals more than 4,000 miles away in the United States.
The sliding centre in Cortina – which will stage bobsleigh, skeleton and luge – is facing a race against time to be ready.
The venue is being completely rebuilt on a century-old track at a cost of more than £72m, sanctioned by the Italian government.
The official deadline is March for when the new track must have been iced, tested and certified. Lake Placid in New York state is the confirmed alternative, despite world class tracks including Igls in Austria and St Moritz in Switzerland being considerably nearer.
Andrea Varnier, chief executive of Milan-Cortina 2026, told BBC Sport: “We checked all available venues and the only one that was ready without the need for investment and able to host us at the last minute was Lake Placid.
“That is the reason why it’s the plan B, but we really intend to stay in Cortina as much as possible.”
Varnier admitted it would be a “mutilated Games” if the sliding events could not be held in Italy.
“That’s what we feel,” he said. “It’s good for the athletes, good for the spectators to have the atmosphere [in Cortina].”
But he remained hopeful, adding: “We are progressing and we are monitoring together with the International Olympic Committee.”
Ski mountaineering – or skimo as it tends to be called – is the only new sport making its Winter Olympic debut in 2026.
But what is it and how will it work at a winter Games?
Ski mountaineering combines skiing uphill and downhill as well as using elite mountaineering skills to hike up icy ascents.
There are different lengths of races, from short sprints to those which can last two hours and can involve more than 1,500m of climbing.
At the 2026 Games, it will be the short format on show with men’s and women’s sprint races. A total of 18 men and 18 women will compete in the individual races and a mixed relay.
The sprint races typically last just three minutes for men and four minutes for women and will consist of an uphill ski section, a booting – or on-foot hiking – section, and a descent around race gates. The racers can climb up to 250 vertical feet.
There will be a time trial to establish the seeding and racers will compete against each other in knockout rounds to keep advancing until the final race, which will determine the medals.
Skimo athletes have special ‘skins’ which they put on the bottom of their skis to stop them sliding down while they are ascending. Their skis are similar to cross-country skis in that they are lighter than downhill skis and have movable bindings to allow for proper joint movement.
Iain Innes is aiming to qualify for the Olympics for Team GB.
He is a former alpine skier who made the switch to skimo after trying it and falling in love with the lung-busting sport.
“It’s the combination of suffering on the climbs, sending it downhill as fast as possible, and then all the technical aspects mixed in there as well,” Innes told BBC Sport.
The 26-year-old has been living in a van in the Alps while honing his skills and competing in World Cup races.
He said: “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. But it’s all worth it. I’m gonna do everything I can to get to 2026.”