March Ski News in Brief – Live and Updated

1st March 2023

Last modified on March 31st, 2023

– Ischgl Kicks Off ‘Spring Blanc’ with George Ezra
– 2,000 Women Take Switzerland to Court Over Climate Change
– Massive Avalanche near Utah Ski Resort on Video
– FIS to Ban Fluor Wax Next Season
– More than a third of UK flights were delayed last year … UPDATED

Here we cover anything that takes our fancy.

Short news stories, eye catching videos, amusing cartoons, things that make us smile/things that make us shout at the screen… in fact anything that catches our eye in the world of snowsports.

Plus links to some of our main stories on PlanetSKI so you can keep up to speed on the ever changing world of snowsports.

See here for:

We’re mixing it up.

Friday 31st March

Ischgl Kicks Off ‘Spring Blanc’ with George Ezra

George Ezra provided the start to the Spring Blanc event series in Ischgl with the 2nd Top of the Mountain Spring Concert in front of 12,000 people.

In front of a snowy mountain backdrop and in the middle of the Silvretta Arena, the British singer-songwriter performed songs like “Budapest”, “Shot Gun” or “Cassy O”.

He said he was ‘excited to perform’ and that he’s never played in a mountain setting before.

He said he doesn’t ski and that he came in the bubble with his sister.

George Ezra opens “Spring Blanc” in Ischgl

‘Spring Blanc’ sees a varied programme in Ischgl with culinary offerings and further musical offerings.

The ski season in Ischgl ends on May 1^st.

“We are more than satisfied with the course of the winter season so far. Already at the beginning of the season we were able to record several very busy days with over 20,000 winter sports enthusiasts in the Silvretta Arena,” said the CEO of Silvretta Seilbahn AG, Günther Zangerl.

Thursday 30th March

2,000 Women Take the Swiss Government to Court Over Climate Change

They say the country’s policy on climate change is violating their right to life and health. They have gone to the European Court of Human Rights.

It is the first time the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will hear a case on the impact of climate change on human rights.

It follows six years of unsuccessful battles through the Swiss courts.

Temperatures in Switzerland are rising faster than the global average and there are ever more frequent heatwaves.

The Swiss women – who call themselves the Club of Climate Seniors and have an average age of 73.

They say climate change is putting their human rights, their health and even their lives at risk.

Their evidence to the court includes their medical records.

See here for the full story on the BBC.

If the women are successful, the case could set a precedent for every one of the European court’s 46 member states.

Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

Tuesday 28th March

Massive Avalanche in USA Caught on Camera

A huge avalanche close to Sundance ski area in Utah on Monday has been filmed on video.

There were no reports of any injuries.

“Today there was a natural avalanche that started on Mount Timpanogos and carried down the mountain into an area outside our ski area boundaries,” a statement from Sundance said.

“Footage shows the dust/wind cloud reaching guests who were watching but no one was hurt as deposition area never reached our boundaries.”

ROLLING THUNDER: A massive avalanche sent a powder cloud over skiers in a resort in Utah. No injuries were reported. https://t.co/bA4iYuS9tP pic.twitter.com/gwRDHfk1Hm
— ABC News (@ABC) March 28, 2023

Sundance posted its response on social media and praised the work of the ski patrol.

FIS to Ban Fluor Wax Next Season

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation has confirmed it will ban the wax for the 2023-2024 winter season.

The FIS has remained committed to banning fluor products used in ski preparation, given the health risks and environmental concerns connected to fluorine waxes.

Fluorinated wax has already been banned by US Ski and Snowboard.

“We are pleased that we can now fully implement the fluor wax ban across our major competitions,” said FIS vice-president Roman Kumpost.

“This is a key step in guaranteeing the integrity of competitions and minimising the impact of the adverse health and environmental effects of the product.”

The International Ski & Snowboard Federation. Image c/o FIS.

Monday 27th March

TUI Group Launches Capital Raising to Repay Covid Loan

The UK’s largest ski operator, Crystal Ski Holidays, is owned by the German company TUI – the loan came from the German government.

It plans to use proceeds to repay the Covid loan in full and to ‘significantly reduce’ the KfW state bank credit line.

This will help reduce interest costs and debt.

TUI is looking to raise about €1.8 billion in the share issue.

TUI received a total of €4.3 billion state aid during the pandemic with about €2.6 billion outstanding to be repaid.

Crystal Ski at the National Snow Show. Image © PlanetSKI

Saturday 25th March

More than a third of UK flights were delayed last year

Only 63% of flights departed or arrived in the UK within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

This was down from 75% in 2019, the year before the pandemic.

The average delay across departures and arrivals was 22 minutes, up 60% on 2019.

The figures come from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Many aviation businesses including airports couldn’t get new staff in place quickly enough after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

Many passengers experienced queues, delays, or cancellations.

Gatwick airport. Image © PlanetSKI

A spokesperson for Airlines UK, the trade body for UK-registered carriers said “the whole industry knows how important punctuality is for customers. Last year was not representative due to the late unwinding of Covid restrictions which required a very steep ramp up.”

They added “since then, the whole industry has invested huge resources into increased resilience for this summer”.

Thursday 23rd March

Park City Breaks Its Record for Snowfall

The resort in Utah has received 12.7m of snow this season – the largest amount since records began.

Time to CELEBRATE! With 7″ in the past 24 hours, our snowfall total for the season is 500″! This is the MOST snowfall to date we’ve received in 49 years of record-keeping. What a season! pic.twitter.com/IDJQFdLiA5
— Park City Mountain (@PCski) March 22, 2023

Park City has already announced it is extending its season as we reported earlier on PlanetSKI:

US resorts extend season after record-breaking winter

Park City, Utah. Image © PlanetSKI

PlanetSKI’s Rob McAteer reported from Park City Mountain Resort earlier this month.

PlanetSKI postcard from Park City

Park City, Utah. Image © Rob McAteer

Wednesday 22nd March

Investigations After Two Die in Separate Avalanches in Colorado

A skier was killed in an avalanche on Sunday just outside the ski area boundary of Aspen.

Two other skiers were caught, but survived.

The day before a man died near Marble in western Colorado.

Nine people have died in avalanches in Colorado this winter.

“Spring Blanc” Returns to Ischgl

Combine sun, snow, warmer temperatures, excellent cuisine, and spectacular open-air concerts and you have Spring Blanc.

At the end of March, Ischgl turns up the heat with this fun, imaginative event series in the Silvretta Arena, to celebrate all things spring.

Spring Blanckicks off with the Top of the Mountain Spring Concert featuring renowned singer-songwriter and guitarist, George Ezra, on 30 March 2023.

From then, until the end of the ski season on 1 May 2023, guests can expect a plethora of activities – from fine food to great gigs.

The programme includes gastronomic highlights such as

Sun.Downer (a chill-out lounge complete with deckchairs, cocktails,
DJs and foodie delights at Pardatschgrat)
Grenzenlos.Kulinarisch (a culinary peak get-together on the border between Austria and Switzerland).

There will also be huge open-air moments at the Top of the Mountain Spring, Easter and Closing Concerts, and the spring snow festival on Alp Trida amongst others.

90% of the cross-border Silvretta Arena is above 2,000 metres: ensuring snow reliability across the 239 km of pistes, and incredible skiing until the very end.

A seven night stay at the Hotel Solaria, arriving 1 April 2023, is priced from £1,563 pp, based on two sharing on a half board basis.

Price includes return flights from Manchester and transfers.

Inghams (01483 698099, www.inghams.co.uk)

Austrian Tirol: www.visittirol.co.uk

Ischgl: www.ischgl.com/en

Ishgl, Tirol, Austria. Copyright © TVB Paznaun-Ischgl

Monday 20th March

Mountain Forests Disappearing

Mountain forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, threatening nature in some of the planet’s most biologically rich areas.

Scientists from Leeds University and the Southern University of Science and Technology in China have published their findings in the journal One Earth.

Mountain areas are home to more than 85% of the world’s birds, mammals, and amphibians, with forested mountain areas being particularly important habitats for nature and wildlife.

Studying satellite data the researchers claim more than 7% of mountain forests have vanished since 2000.

Much of that loss was in tropical areas that are key nature habitats, putting threatened species in greater danger.

Logging and wildfires caused most of the loss, followed by agriculture.

The speed of loss accelerated by 50% between 2010 and 2018 compared with the period between 2001 and 2009.

The most significant losses were in Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

Summer in the French Alps. Image © PlanetSKI

Sunday 19th March

Artificial Snow Will Not Prevent Glacier Melt

Artificial snow can slow down the melting of a glacier, but such projects are costly and do not stabilise the glacier, according to study of a project in south-eastern Switzerland.

“If we really want to save the glaciers, we had better start with climate protection,” said Matthias Huss, a glaciologist at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich.

He worked on a study into the impact of the first such glacier rescue project of its kind in the world, at the Morteratsch glacier in the Bernina region of canton Graubünden.

According to the study, the Morteratsch Glacier will lose between 56% and 71% of its volume over the next 40 years without any external intervention.

Artificial snowmaking could prevent a good third to a quarter of this loss by 2060.

This would delay the decline of the glacier somewhat, but “in the long term, it’s just a drop in the ocean,” said Matthias Huss.

The results are published in the March edition of the Swiss Association of Water Management magazine.

See here for the details on SwissInfo.

Mont Fort glacier, Verbier. Image © PlanetSKI

Saturday 18th March

GB Snowsport is looking to recruit a new Chair following the completion of the term of the existing Chair, Rory Tapner. The newly appointed Chair will formally commence their four-year term in September 2023.
Find out more and apply: https://t.co/HzUKlyTD3R pic.twitter.com/sw0TcwyRtF
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) March 17, 2023

Thursday 16th March

Another Gold for Charlotte Bankes

3️⃣ in a row 🥇🥇🥇😱
Charlotte Bankes is on 🔥
Congratulations on this incredible result 🫶#rubiconraw #gbsnowsport pic.twitter.com/A6nQzULGxh
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) March 16, 2023

Wednesday 15th March

Last Race of the Season for Dave Ryding

Tuesday 14th March

Shiffrin Appoints Head New Coach

Karin Harjo gets the role as her new head coach and starts next month.

She is currently Alpine Canada women’s national coach.

Karin Harjo is the only female head coach currently in the World Cup circuit and the second in history.

She was as an assistant for Shiffrin on the US.team in 2021 and comes from Norway.

“I am beyond excited and humbled by the opportunity to work with Mikaela in this capacity,” said Harjo.

“I have always been impressed with Mikaela’s focus, resilience and dedication to the process.

“Her work ethic is second to none, and I’m looking forward to working with her in this next stage of her career.”

Last weekend Mikaela Shiffrin became the greatest alpine ski racer as she overtook Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup wins.

Mikalea Shiffrin: The greatest Alpine ski racer of all time

Looking forward to working with Karin! It’s about wanting to put a bigger spotlight on female coaches. I’ve accomplished a lot, but maybe in this stage of my career I can give other female ski coaches more of a visual of something to strive for.
Read ⬇️https://t.co/ACVND0nMrv
— Mikaela Shiffrin (@MikaelaShiffrin) March 13, 2023

“I’m really looking forward to working with Karin again, this time more directly as my new head coach,” said Shiffrin.

“For a large part of my career, I’ve gotten to work with her here and there with her positions on the women’s tech team and then speed team in more recent years.

“I’ve witnessed her exceptional work ethic, her ability to work well with other coaches, and most importantly her connection and dedication to her athletes.

“I believe she can add a huge benefit to my program in the coming years and will provide a fresh and new way of thinking as we move forward,” added Shiffrin.

Shiffrin split with head coach, Mike Day, last month during the World Championships in Meribel-Courchevel in France.

The two worked together for seven years.

Monday 13th March

Congrats for GB’s Charlotte Bankes

Results Round-Up: Bankes goes back-to-back gold as medal tally rises 👑😱https://t.co/EUgshdQ4o5 #gbsnowsport pic.twitter.com/WqVuT4FfUu
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) March 13, 2023

Sunday 12th March

French Ski Resorts Invest €380m

Investment has risen back to its pre-Covid levels.

The figure comes from the magazine Montagne Leaders, in partnership with Atout France and Domaines Skiables de France.

“In 2022, € 380 million were invested in French ski areas. Up 41.8% on the previous season and 17.1% higher than the ten-year average, this amount is the second highest of the decade. In France, operators reinvested 26.1% of their pre-tax sales this year,” said Atout France.

The entire survey in French can be found in Issue 294 of Montagne Leaders.

France. Image © PlanetSKI.

Saturday 11th March

Plans Submitted for Indoor Ski Slope in Wales

Plans for a £300m ‘world-class leisure resort’ in Merthyr Tydfil have been officially submitted

The Rhydycar West project is to include the UK’s largest indoor ski slope.

The project would also include:

An indoor tropical water park
An indoor and outdoor adventure centre
Accommodation including woodland lodges
Resort hotel with sport, family and luxury spa wings
Conference facilities.

The project will create around 1,500 jobs in the construction phase, and around 800 jobs once up and running.

Marvel Ltd owns the land and the plan is that the Rhydycar West project will contribute around £38.1m in a year to the economy.

Those behind the scheme said the aim is to “provide a unique and unparalleled experience for visitors of all ages, making Rhydycar West a must-visit ‘all year round’ destination for both local and international tourists.”

The project is also supported by GB Snowsport and Snowsport Cymru Wales to establish the UK National Centre of Snowsport Excellence.

It will be the official home and training headquarters for the Welsh and GB national, Olympic and Paralympic snow sports teams and elite athletes.

See more here.

PlanetSKI logo

Friday 10th March

Can Mikaela Shiffrin Finally Do it?

The US skier is poised to break the all-time record for the number of World Cup victories.

She is competing in Are in Sweden, where a 17-year-old Shiffrin first won a World Cup race, in slalom in December 2012.

Today she competed in one of her best events – the giant slalom – where she won and equalled the record of 86 victories held by the Swedish legend, Ingermar Stenmark.

📌First Giant Slalom World Cup victory in @WorldCupAre for @MikaelaShiffrin
📌86th World Cup victory (tie with Stenmark)
📌20th GS World Cup victory (tie with Vreni Schneider on victories in the women’s giant slalom)
📌 2nd GS title
📌 10th discipline title
Is it all 🤔🤯? pic.twitter.com/w3p86oHB90
— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) March 10, 2023

She’s equalled the record:

A circle closes!
Where @mikaelashiffrin won her first World Cup race, she also won her 86th, equalling Ingemar Stenmark’s record 🐐#fisalpine pic.twitter.com/DGuTkQcwRe
— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) March 10, 2023

On Saturday it’s the slalom, probably her best discipline, and the chance to become the greatest ski racer of all time.

Stenmark has said he does not plan to be in Are, but will watch the race on television.

He gave Shiffrin an enthusiastic endorsement in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

“She’s much better than I was. You cannot compare,” said Stenmark.

Here at PlanetSKI we’ll keep you posted.

If the record eludes Shiffrin in Sweden, she has up to four more chances next week at the season-ending World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra.

Thursday 9th March

Heathrow Told to Cut Passenger Charges

It’s a move that should feed through to ticket prices.

The Civil Aviation Authority believes lower charges are required due to passenger numbers recovering quicker than expected after the pandemic.

The fees are paid by airlines and go towards costs for terminals, runways, baggage systems and security.

The average charge per passenger at Heathrow for 2023 is £31.57.

The regulator said this will fall to £25.43 in 2024 and “remain broadly flat” until the end of 2026.

Fingers crossed it will mean reduced fares as we head to the slopes next winter.

Departures at Heathrow Terminal 2 – photo © PlanetSKI

Wednesday 8th March

Pair of Stoats Could be Mascots for Milan Cortina 2026

They are the public’s choice for the mascot of the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy.

Stoats live in the Italian mountains and they polled 53% in a public ballot.

Image c/o Milan-Cortina 2026

They beat Fiori, a stylised representation of the edelweiss and snowdrop flowers which also come from the Italian mountains.

Image c/o Milan-Cortina 2026

The submissions came from Italian school children with around 1,600 submissions made from 681 classes and 82 schools from across 81 Italian provinces.

The stoat is a small predator and has had a devastating impact on native bird populations in many countries.

It has been hunted for its fur, known as ermine.

Officials from the Milan Cortina 2026 organising committee will make the final decision.

The Winter Olympics in Italy are scheduled to run from February 6th to 22nd 2026, with the Paralympics taking place from March 6th to 15^th 2026.

Tuesday 7th March

Travel to French Ski Resorts Hit by Nationwide Strikes

People travelling to and from France have been warned to expect flight cancellations due to strikes over pension reforms.

Ferry crossings and rail services are set to be affected, with companies such as Eurostar and P&O Ferries warning of delays and disruption to journeys.

Unions are staging a general strike in France over proposed pension changes, which include raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

It’s the sixth big strike since January.

Earlier strikes had threatened to impact the operation of ski lifts but these turned out to be ill-founded.

Ski lift strikes in France have little impact

Bourg St Maurice, France. Image © PlanetSKI

According to an opinion poll by French survey group Elabe, the majority of citizens back the ongoing strikes against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.

Monday 6th March

Matterhorn Image To Be Removed from Toblerone Packaging

The famous Swiss mountain that towers over the ski resort of Zermatt has long been associated with the chocolate bar.

However Swiss law states that national symbols are not allowed to be used to promote milk-based products that are not made exclusively in Switzerland.

The owner of Toblerone, US firm Mondelez, has announced that some production of the chocolate bar is to be moved to Bratislava in Slovakia.

The new packaging will include a more generic summit of a mountain and include the signature of Tobler – the founder of the chocolate bar.

The words “made in Switzerland” will also be taken off the bars.

Toblerone is made from Swiss milk, with honey and almond nougat.

It first went on sale in 1908 in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, and is still made in Bern.

The Matterhorn’s silhouette was first used on the chocolate’s packaging in 1970.

In a statement Mondelez said it was moving some production outside of the country to “respond to increased demand worldwide and to grow our Toblerone brand for the future”.

It was invented by Theodor Tobler and Emil Baumann.

The name is a combination of the surname of one of its inventors Theodor Tobler and ‘torrone’, which is the Italian name for honey and almond nougat.

Sunday 5th March

Bus with 40 Schoolchildren on Board Crashes in Alps

It plunged down a wooded slope and into a creek, leaving the driver and his partner with serious injuries.

All the children avoided serious injury with all reported to be wearing seat belts.

The accident happened near the town of Corps in, the southern French Alps.

The children were returning home from a trip to the French Alps.

Eighteen children and one other adult were treated for minor injuries.

According to the local mayor, Fabien Mulyk, the children are ‘all doing well.’

Weather conditions were clear and there was no ice or snow on the road.

An investigation into the crash is underway and first reports say it appears the driver had a medical problem while behind the wheel.

PlanetSKI logo

Saturday 4th March

Shiffrin Wins 5th Overall World Cup Title

The American skier finished in fifth place in the women’s downhill at Kvitfjell in Norway which gave her enough points to clinch the title.

With 700 points still available Shiffrin holds a 796-point lead.

Shiffrin has dominated the season – 14 podiums, including 11 victories, in 25 races.

“For me it’s quite special to have it now already,” she said. “And I can take a little bit of weight off my shoulders.

“In the middle of the season I was always thinking ‘oh, I just have to keep pushing because it’s not done yet’. And so now at least that’s done and I can enjoy myself more.”

All eyes remain on her to see if she can beat the record number of World Cup wins held by the legendary Swedish skier, Ingemar Stenmark.

He took 86 victories, and Shiffrin is on 85.

She races in the super-G in Kvitfjell on Sunday before heading to Sweden to compete in the giant slalom and slalom next weekend in Are.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Overall Titles ✅
for @MikaelaShiffrin 🇺🇸
(7 races ahead! 🤪) and it’s not over yet 😉 (watch the video to find the next goal out! ➡️)#fisalpine pic.twitter.com/Vw3ZFJYMTk
— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) March 4, 2023

Shiffrin will be presented with the Crystal Globe at the World Cup finals in Andorra on March 19th.

Friday 3rd March

Skiing Above Los Angeles

It’s not very often that the drought-ridden city of Los Angeles in southern California sees snow.

Last weekend Mount Lukens, a peak on the north-east border of LA was blanketed in the stuff.

So backcountry skier Andy Lewicky and his friends set off for the long hike to the summit and skied down.

For the full story and photos, see the LA Times.

Travel Refunds for Ski Flights Remain Unclaimed

EasyJet has £111m of unused vouchers as of the third quarter of last year, with some owed to skiers and snowboarders.

People have until September to use some of them or they could expire.

Which? is urging all people to check the expiry dates if they have vouchers issued.

The international Airlines group holds around £911m of unused vouchers.

Thursday 2nd March

Couloir Helicopter Rescue

Let’s all give a big round of applause for the specialist teams involved in mountain rescue.

Last Friday a snowboarder fell 100ft down Cache Couloir at Snow Lake in Washington state in the USA and was injured.

A specialist rescue team and paramedics were despatched by helicopter.

The operation was filmed from the rescuers’ perspective and the footage has just been released by the King County Sheriff.

Wednesday 1st March

Shiffrin Eyeing Stenmark’s Record

Mikaela Shiffrin is in Kvitfjell in Norway this week where she has a chance to equal and surpass the record of World Cup wins held by the Swede, Ingemar Stenmark.

The 27-year-old American superstar is set to compete in two Super G races and a Downhill over three consecutive days, starting on Friday 3rd March.

Shiffrin is on 85 career World Cup wins. Stenmark’s record is 86.

She is already the most successful female World Cup alpine skier, beating Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 wins at Kronplatz in the Italian Dolomites in January.

Shiffrin breaks Vonn’s record. Image TV screengrab/Eurosport

Shiffrin Breaks Vonn’s Record for World Cup Wins

In an interview with Associated Press, Stenmark paid a glowing tribute to Shiffrin.

“She’s much better than I was. You cannot compare,” he said. “She has everything. She has good physical strength, she has a good technique, strong head. I think it’s the combination of everything makes her so good.

“And I’m also impressed that she can ski good both in slalom and in super-G and downhill also. I could never have been so good in all disciplines.”

Stenmark’s titles came in slalom and giant slalom.

Shiffrin has won in every discipline: Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super G, Downhill, Parallel Slalom, Combined.

European Visa Waiver System Delayed Again

The ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) was meant to be in place in 2022.

The rollout had already been delayed, first to May and then November 2023 but it will not now be introduced until some time in 2024.

The ETIAS will be required for UK nationals and other non-EU citizens from 60 countries to visit an EU country along similar lines to the USA’s ESTA visa waiver programme.

It will cost 7 Euros for those aged 18 to 70 and will be free for everyone else.

It will last three years, allowing multiple trips to different countries.

Northern Lights Sparkle Over UK

Have you been on a ski trip to Norway and been disappointed that the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, failed to make an appearance?

Well, earlier this week you would not have had to travel that far north.

The weather conditions meant there were some spectacular light shows in the UK, apparently as far south as Cornwall.

These are a few of our favourite images from the Scottish Highlands.

Yes, it’s a long exposure shot, but I dare say the northern lights looked pretty good at 4,000ft last night on the summit of Aonach Mòr. Perfect winter camping conditions.
📷 Paul Skea https://t.co/ghPcBIYTWo pic.twitter.com/C4JvvjZj3I
— Iain Cameron (@theiaincameron) February 27, 2023

There was an incredible display of the aurora borealis across many parts of the Cairngorms National Park last night, captured beautifully near Abernethy Forest by Pete Short. Were you lucky enough to see them?
📸 wildeyehighland on instagram pic.twitter.com/f8Ce8t127e
— Cairngorms National Park (@cairngormsnews) February 27, 2023

80% of Milan-Cortina Venues to be Ready in ‘Good Time’

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister says 80% of the work on the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics venues will be completed in good time.

Matteo Salvini told the Milan Cortina Foundation in Venice that they were working to increase that percentage, despite years of delays.

“I have been a minister for 4 months and I can say that we are unblocking construction sites and projects,” he said.

“If everyone had done their job in previous years, I would be calmer, but I don’t regret the past and I say that the Olympics will be an exceptional opportunity for development, not only for Milan and Cortina, but for all of Italy.”