Cesana Pariol
Cesana Pariol was the venue for bobsleigh, luge and skeleton during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. The track, built for the Games, is located in Cesana Torinese. The €110 million venue had a capacity of 7,130 spectators, of whom 3,624 were seated. The track was closed in 2011 and has been abandoned since then. The track is scheduled to be demolished in summer 2026.[1]
The track was considered for renovation for the 2026 Winter Olympics to host the sliding events,[2] but the plans were turned down and a new track was built in Cortina d'Ampezzo for €119 million euros.[3]
Construction details
The track was constructed with about 54 miles (87 km) of ammonia refrigeration pipes to help form ice on the track for proper sliding. Numerous sensors located along the track ensured that the ice's thickness was kept between 5 and 10 cm (2 and 4 in) to keep the track properly smooth during competitions.
The construction costs of the venue reached 110 million euros.[2]
History
During construction of the track prior to the 2006 games, there was concern that the track would be completed in time for homologation. An archaeological find (a small part of a Roman ruins) during construction slowed progress until the remains were excavated (near the current Turn 11).
The track was completed on end of 2004. In January 2005, the FIBT and FIL held their homologation events at the track. The FIBT had no issue when they ran their events during the weekend of 21–23 January 2005. The following week, the FIL ran their events, and had several crashes. Included in the crashes were Austria's Wolfgang Linger (broken ankle and calfbone), Brazil's Renato Mizoguchi (medically induced coma), and the U.S. Virgin Islands' Anne Abernathy (collarbone). During the summer of 2005, discussions were held among TOROC (the organizer of the 2006 Games), FIBT President Robert H. Storey (Canada), and FIL President Josef Fendt (Germany) about refitting the track for safety reasons. An agreement was reached by all three, and turns 16 through 18 were modified as such. The track was finally modified in late 2005 in time for homologation. Test runs done by Italy's Armin Zöggeler in late October 2005 led to the track being homologated on 31 October 2005 after it had been approved by former German national team coach Josef Lenz and FIL track commission chair Klaus Bonsack.
Cesana Pariol is now part of the complex called Torino Olympic Park. Post-Olympic usage for the tracks includes bobsleigh and luge rides for the public.
In October 2009, problems with early refrigeration of the track led the Bob- und Schlittenverband für Deutschland in Germany to lend support of short-order auxiliary services for foreign teams on such short notice. Starting 16 October, Italy and Japan's teams trained at the track in Winterberg while Austria's team trained at Königssee's track.
The track was scheduled to host events in 2011–12, but was shut down due to economic costs. After pressure from the FIBT and FIL in early 2012, the track was scheduled to run in 2012-13 only to be shut down again. In October 2012, the track was ordered to be dismantled by Cesana officials. The 45 tons of ammonia was moved from the track's refrigeration for other uses within the Turin region. However, during the 2014 Winter Olympics, President of the CONI, Giovanni Malagò, expressed the intention to ensure new investments to keep the track open.[4]
The track was considered for renovation for the 2026 Winter Olympics to host the sliding events, as CONI was having difficulty finding a suitable venue.[5] The plans were turned down after an Italian construction company submitted a bid of €81.6 million to rebuild the Eugenio Monti Olympic Track in Cortina d'Ampezzo used in the 1956 Winter Olympics.[6] However, the cost reached €119 million, as the project ultimately involved constructing a completely new track on the site of the old one.[3]
Statistics
| Sport | Length of track (meters) | Number of turns |
|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge - men's singles | 1435 | 19 (11 left and 8 right) |
| Luge - women's singles and men's doubles | 1233 | 17 (9 left and 8 right) |
The venue includes a vertical drop of 114 meters from start to finish.
| Turn Number | Name | Reason named |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Champlas | Local town near the track. |
| 2. | Gancio | Italian for "Hook" |
| 3. | Il Muro | Italian for "The Wall". Women's singles and men's double luge have their start house after this turn. |
| 4., 5. | Gemelli | Italian for "Twins". |
| 6., 7., 8. | Toro | Italian for "Bull". Also for the toroid or torus shape of these three turns. It is also an Omega-shaped curve. |
| 9. | Cesana | The comune where the track is located. |
| 10. | Nino Bibbia | 1948 Winter Olympics gold medalist in skeleton at St. Moritz. Italy's first gold medalist in bobsled, luge, or skeleton, and its first-ever Winter Olympic medalist. |
| 11. | Museo | Italian for "Museum". An archeological find was found near this turn during track construction. |
| 12., 13. | Chicane | Shape of these curves. |
| 14. | Chaberton | After the Chaberton Mountains that the inside of this curve faces. |
| 15. | Lavatrice | Italian for "Washing machine" |
| 16. | Compressione | Italian for "Compression". From the compressive forces put upon the body during the maneuvering of the sled through the turn. |
| 17. | Paul Hildgartner | Formerly "Senza Nome" ("Without Name" in (in Italian)). Named for luger who won four Winter Olympic, five world championship, and six European championship medals between 1971 and 1988. Among first inductees in FIL Hall of Fame in 2004. |
| 18. | Pariol | The village in Cesana where the track is located. |
| 19. | Eugenio Monti | Six-time Olympic medalist and 10-time bobsled World Champion medalist from 1957 to 1968. |
| Sport | Record | Nation - athlete(s) | Date | Time (seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobsleigh - two-man | Start[7] | Switzerland - Beat Hefti & Thomas Lamparter | 5 December 2009 | 4.72 |
| Luge - men's singles | Start[8] | David Möller - Germany | 29 January 2010 | 2.457 |
| Luge - men's singles | Track[8] | Albert Demtschenko - Russia | 12 February 2006 | 51.396 |
| Luge - women's singles | Start[9] | Silke Kraushaar - Germany | 14 February 2006 | 4.320 |
| Luge - women's singles | Track[9] | Natalie Geisenberger - Germany | 31 January 2010 | 46.817 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Start[10] | Germany - Tobias Wendl & Tobias Arlt | 29 January 2010 | 4.258 |
| Luge - men's doubles | Track[10] | Italy - Christian Oberstolz & Patrick Gruber | 30 January 2010 | 46.293 |
| Women's skeleton | Track[11] | Shelley Rudman - United Kingdom | 4 December 2009 | 58.71 |
Championships hosted
Notes
- ^ "Post-olimpico, 9 milioni per demolire il bob di Cesana e 5 per riqualificare l'area salto di Pragelato". L'Eco del Chisone (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Milano-Cortina 2026, il Cio stronca il recupero della pista da bob di Cesana: "E' già stata abbandonata una volta"". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 3 November 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Cortina ha (finalmente) la sua pista da bob: un miracolo olimpico nato in 13 mesi". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2026.
- ^ "SLITTINO, MALAGO': PISTA CESANA? SPERO SI SBLOCCHI LA SITUAZIONE - Sport - Repubblica.it".
- ^ "Italian Government wants bobsleigh to remain in country for Milan Cortina 2026". www.insidethegames.biz. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "Italy signs risky sliding track deal for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics against IOC recommendation". GamesBids.com. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "Hefti and Lamparter Set Records, Win in Cesana". International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation. 5 December 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ a b FIL Luge World Cup Cesana 30 January 2010 men's singles results. - Retrieved 30 January 2010.
- ^ a b FIL Luge World Cup Cesana 31 January 2010 women's singles results. - Retrieved 31 January 2010.
- ^ a b FIL Luge World Cup Cesana 30 January 2010 doubles results. - Retrieved 30 January 2010.
- ^ "Rudman Wins in Cesana, Takes World Cup Lead". International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
References
- 2006 Winter Olympics official report. Archived 7 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Volume 3. pp. 61–3.
- Canadian skeleton racer Lindsay Alcock's diary during 2005 FIBT homologation of Cesana Pariol for the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Discovery Channel.co.uk article on the track construction prior to the 2006 games
- FIBT.com profile - Click on video clip of this run from a bobsleigh perspective. Men's single luge start house is shown on the left at the start of the run while the women's singles and men's doubles luge entrance appears after the third turn.
- Schwab: "Act of international solidarity". at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (19 October 2009 accessed 2 December 2009.)
- FIBT President Storey and FIL President Fendt: "Olympic Track Summitt" in Berchtesgaden at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (6 June 2005 article accessed 2 December 2009.)
- 2006 Olympic Track in Cesana Pariol homologated by FIL. at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (31 October 2005 article accessed 2 December 2009.)
- Jubilee Congress awards 2011 World Championships to Cesana-Pariol. at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (23 June 2007 article accessed 2 December 2009. Also mentions 2008 European championships.)
- FIL-Luge track profile
- Track manager Ferriani assures that "everything is done for safety". at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (2 February 2005 article accessed 2 December 2009.)
- US Slider Tony Benshoff (Luge) describes parts of the track during a typical run.
- Executive Committee meets Torino's organisers for the Olympic Games. at the Fédération Internationale de Luge de Course (29 September 2004 article accessed 2 December 2009.)
- Torino Olympic Park listing of public bobsleigh rides.
- Torino Olympic Park listing of monobob rides.