Three-way bid for 2026 Olympics 'dead'

(ANSA) - Rome, September 18 - Cabinet Secretary Giancarlo Giorgetti said Tuesday that the idea of staging a combined bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics by Milan, Turin and Cortina d'Ampezzo was "dead" due to differences between the cities.
    "I think that with an important thing like an Olympic bid, a spirit of agreement must prevail and I have not found that in the three cities," said Giorgetti, who has the brief for sport.
    "That's why the government does not think that a bid as formulated up to now can go any further.
    "This type of proposal does not have the support of the government.
    "It is dead". Veneto Governor Luca Zaia and Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana, however, proposed staging a two-way bid led by Milan and Cortina, without Turin, so Italy could still land the Games.
    "Having come this far, it is unthinkable to throw it all out of the window," Zaia and Fontana, who are members of the League like Giorgetti, said in a joint statement.
    "The bid should be saved, which is why we are willing to carry forward this challenge together.
    "If Turin is pulling out, and we are sorry, at this point, two realities are left, Veneto and Lombardy, so we'll keep going with the Lombardy-Veneto Olympics".
    The two deputy premiers, Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, voiced dismay at the end of the three-way bid.
    Di Maio said "the blame is on the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for lack of courage." Salvini said "it would be a shame to squander such an opportunity".
    Giorgetti also said Tuesday that he had nothing against Lombardy and Veneto staging a joint bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but stressed that the central government would not be footing the bill. "If Lombardy and Veneto want to run together, they will take to take on the burden too," Giorgetti said.
    "The government would have given guarantees in the case of a three-way bid, but in this case, they will have to provide them.
    "Then if Turin wanted to run too... (Italian Olympic Committee) CONI will decide".