Guard Dies in Freezing Shift at 2026 Winter Olympics Construction Site in Italy
January 11, 2026
A 55-year-old guard died during a freezing overnight shift at a construction site near a 2026 Winter Olympic venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Temperatures fell to -12C (10.4F) that night. Italy’s infrastructure minister, Matteo Salvini, called for a full investigation into the worker's death. The worker was on duty near Cortina’s ice arena when he passed away on Thursday, according to Italian media. The construction site is not managed by Simico, the government company responsible for Olympic infrastructure. Simico issued a statement expressing condolences. Cortina city officials said they were “deeply saddened and troubled by the death”. The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from 6-22 February. Cortina will host curling, sliding, and women’s Alpine skiing events. Milan will host other competitions and the opening ceremony at the San Siro football stadium. The opening ceremony will feature headline singers Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey. It will be spread across Cortina, Livigno, Predazzo and Milan to allow all athletes to join. The ceremony will also pay tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September at age 91.
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Tags:
Winter Olympics 2026
Cortina D'ampezzo
Construction Site Accident
Worker Death
Olympic Venues
Italy
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