The world will be watching the best athletic performances when the Winter Olympics begin this week in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The Games are the definition of best in class—where only the fastest, strongest, and most precise compete. But as the climate changes, the question is whether the places that host the Olympics can still meet that same standard.
In the space of those 70 years between hosting (Cortina d'Ampezzo also hosted in 1956), scientists estimate that the average February temperature in Cortina d’Ampezzo has risen by over 6 degrees fahrenheit.
In a study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee, researchers looked at all the previous regions that hosted the Winter Games, which totalled 93, to understand if they would still be feasible hosts in 2050. The study found that only 52 sites would meet the criteria in the 2050s.
Not only are the Games an intensive emissions event with site construction and travel, but recent Winter Games have needed artificial/technical snow to support the ski and snowboarding events. Besides electricity, large water reservoirs are required to make the snow.
The story is the same, if not worse for the Paralympics Games which are held a couple of weeks later into the season.
How will the Winter Olympics adapt? Will the number of host cities decrease to a select few? Could the timing of the event be shifted earlier?
If the Olympics represent the pinnacle of human performance, they could also become a model for best-in-class climate adaptation. The future of the Winter Games may depend on which hosts can set a new gold standard for competing, and hosting, in a changing climate.