03 December 2024 – The Dolomiti Valtellina project from northern Italy has been recommended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) to host the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2028 (YOG). This proposal will now go to the 143rd IOC Session in Lausanne on 30 January 2025, when the IOC membership will vote on it. The EB today also proposed the initial sports programme for these YOG.
Dolomiti Valtellina’s vision for the Winter YOG is to amplify the socio-economic and sporting impacts of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 by returning to many of the same venues and reinvesting in community programmes which promote physical activity, particularly for young people. Further building on the legacy of Milano Cortina 2026, the aim of these Winter YOG is to pass the baton to, and empower, a new generation of athletes and leaders.
The project, developed by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and supported by national government and the governments of the regions of Lombardy and Veneto and the Autonomous Province of Trentino, is based around five principles:
- To create a spin-off event to leverage the sporting legacy and experience of Milano Cortina 2026
- To promote sustainable behaviours by adhering to the highest sustainability standards in the delivery of global sports events
- To create a platform to encourage young people to practise winter sports and adopt healthier lifestyles
- To encourage social engagement and help to shape a new generation of civic leaders
- To nurture solidarity and friendship, by fostering a spirit of unity.
The proposed masterplan is based on the use solely of existing venues in three clusters, in Valtellina, Val di Fiemme and Cortina. Out of 11 competition venues, seven will have been used for Milano Cortina 2026.
The EB’s decision to put forward the project for a vote by the IOC Session was based on a recommendation by the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games. Since the EB opened a Targeted Dialogue with CONI in July 2024, the Future Host Commission has examined all strategic and technical elements of the project, in consultation with subject experts.
This analysis was summarised in a report presented to the EB by Commission Chair Karl Stoss, IOC Member in Austria:
The Future Host Commission finds that Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 is based upon a solid vision, legacy objectives and venue masterplan, and has all the key elements to stage a successful edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in the heart of one of the world’s most mature winter sports regions.
Karl Stoss, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games
A recommendation by the Olympic Programme Commission for the initial sports programme for the Winter YOG 2028 was also accepted by the IOC EB: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating and skiing are all included. The maximum quota of athletes was set at 1,900, as was the case for the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024.
Within 12 months of host election for the Winter YOG 2028, the EB will decide on the disciplines and events for each sport in consultation with the respective International Federations, and on the final athlete quota, which is likely to be less than 1,900, taking into account the IOC’s and the Preferred Host’s commitments to reduce the cost and complexity of the YOG for all stakeholders. In line with these efforts and the work done for the YOG Dakar 2026, the IOC and the Preferred Host will work together to find areas of optimisation with these processes.
The Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) will also have the opportunity to propose additional sports for inclusion in the programme.
