IOC members will decide on
Monday whether a joint bid by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo has
won the right to host the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan and Cortina, who are up against Sweden's Stockholm-Are
bid, have a 100-strong delegation at the IOC's headquarters in
Lausanne for Monday's vote.
Giovanni Malagò, the head of Italian Olympic Committee CONI,
and Cabinet Secretary Giancarlo Giorgetti, who has the
government's sport portfolio, gave a technical presentation on
the Italian bid in the morning.
Premier Giuseppe Conte, meanwhile, will speak at a second
presentation later in the day.
IOC President Thomas Bach will announce who has won at 18:00.
"Studies done by the Bocconi, La Sapienza, Ca' Foscari
universities (in Milan, Rome and Venice respectively) say that
the economic impact of an event like the Olympics is important
for the economy of the regions (involved), for tourism,"
Giorgetti said after the presentation.
"The Italian government gave all the (necessary) guarantees.
"It believes sporting events can be an engine of economic and
infrastructure development.
"The whole country believes in our bid".
Malagò said the first presentation went well.
"Our answers were brilliant, effective," Malagò said.
"The IOC members were happy with what we said.
"They asked us about the post-Games legacy, the transport
system, the possibility of agreements with African and Asian
nations that are not very involved in the Winter Games and about
all the guarantees".
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