Featured image credit: IOC/Greg Martin
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has maintained its legacy-focused strategy for the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) by awarding the next edition of the event to Italy.
Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 will be the fifth edition of the Winter YOG, with the IOC Session in Lausanne yesterday (Thursday) seeing members vote 89-1 in favour. The IOC’s Executive Board last month recommended the bid for approval after it was named as the preferred host back in July.
Competitions will take place only in existing venues across three clusters in the Italian Alps – Valtellina, Trentino and Cortina d’Ampezzo – returning to some of the sports venues that will be used for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina.
The 2028 YOG is intended to be part of the Milano Cortina 2026 legacy, and will reinvest in communities with strong winter sports traditions. The project is led by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), and the governments of the regions of Veneto and Lombardy and the Autonomous Province of Trento, supported by the Italian government, and is in line with long-term plans to raise the regions’ profile as a winter sports destination.
The programme of the YOG, to be held from January 15-29, 2028, will include all seven winter Olympic sports: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing.
Seven of the 11 proposed venues for the YOG will have been used in 2026 – Stelvio Alpine Skiing Centre in Bormio; Livigno Aerials and Mogul Park and Livigno Snow Park for freestyle/snowboard; Cortina Sliding Centre for bobsleigh, skeleton and luge; Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium; Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium; and Cortina Olympic Stadium, for curling. The IOC said the programme also presents an opportunity to take competitions to venues that cannot be used in 2026.
No athlete will stay more than an hour from their venue, with seven out of 11 venues less than 15 minutes from their respective village. A festival of sport, arts and local culture will take place throughout 2027, until the Olympic Torch celebrations in December. During the YOG, festival sites will be operated in Bormio and Trento.
Organisers said hosting the 2026 Games will enable efficiencies in areas such as venues, transport infrastructure, workforce and marketing. The YOG will be governed by a specific organising committee aided by a Memorandum of Understanding with Milano Cortina 2026, to foster collaboration between the two entities.
Andrea Abodi, Italy’s Minister of Sport and Youth, said: “Italy is once again ready to put its heart, passion and expertise into hosting an event that will be not only a spectacular sporting occasion, but also a meaningful opportunity for growth for the entire nation.
“We aim to inspire the younger generations to embrace the value of sport as a tool for inclusion and social cohesion – a universal language capable of uniting cultures and nations, and fostering the diplomacy we so greatly need.”
He added: “The organisation of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will further showcase the infrastructure built by SIMICO – Società Infrastrutture Milano Cortina – leaving additional positive legacies in terms of sports facilities, educational programmes and social initiatives, which will continue to generate impact well beyond the closure of the YOG 2028.”
The award of the 2028 Winter YOG comes on the back of last year’s event, held in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The IOC awarded the hosting rights in January 2020, with the event utilising several venues developed for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
IOC president, Thomas Bach, said: “The election of Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 is an expression of the IOC’s confidence in Italy’s ability to deliver world class, exceptional winter sports events.
“The Olympic Movement and the host regions are already excited about Milano Cortina 2026, with just over one year to go until the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This news means that excitement will extend until the end of the decade, and the benefits for local communities will continue.”
Share this