The greenest Olympics ever.

That was the promise when Milano-Cortina won the battle for the 2026 Olympics against Stockholm-Åre.

But the only thing that glows green is the grass when we visit Cortina d'Ampezzo, a luxurious but frayed ski resort.

The bare ground tells of the absence of the snow and in the slopes the snow cannons go around the clock.

In the winters of 2017, 2018 and 2019 alone, 4.2 billion liters of water and large amounts of electricity were used for artificial snow.

- There are enormous costs financially, but above all for the environment.

During the Olympics, there will be even larger quantities.

When I was little, there were ski slopes that led all the way down here to the village.

But they have been closed for a long time, there is too little snow at low altitude now here in the Alps.

Big winter games should not be held here, says Silverio Lacedelli.

Sad decay

He was born in the beautiful mountain village and is deeply concerned about the environmental consequences of the 2026 Olympics. The games will also be held in Milan and in Val di Fiemme, among other places.

The promises were that virtually nothing would be built new.

- But that will not be the case.

The Bob course is just one example of that, says Silverio Lacedelli.

He takes us to the old bobsled track that was built for the 1956 Olympics in Cortina.

Both it and the ski jumping hill were once the city's pride and are part of the James Bond film "For youre eyes only" from 1981. Now both the old Olympic facilities are in sad decay.

The Bob track will be demolished and a new one built for at least SEK 650 million.

- It will affect the whole environment here, it will be like a wound in the landscape, says Lacedlli.

"They have lied to us"

The protests around the Olympics are large and a series of demonstrations have been organized under the slogan "Non nel mio nome", "not in my name".

- By that we mean that we are not behind these games, says Marina Menardi.

She is chair of Cortina's Citizens' Council.

In addition to the bobsleigh track, a new cable car, an Olympic village, car parks, apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and several roads are planned both in and outside Cortina.

- What the organizers wrote in the Olympic project when we got the games was excellent, great promises of sustainability financially, socially and ecologically.

What are you really doing now?

It's less good.

They have lied to us, says Marina Menardi.

Cortina's mayor Gianpietro Ghedina does not deny that a number of new buildings are planned.

- To our critics, I say that the Olympics means a great opportunity for us.

If people are to be able to live here in the mountains in the future, big events are needed.

We are still living at the 1956 Olympics, even though it was almost seventy years ago.