The Geography of the Olympic Winter Games in the Alpine Arc

Through a comparative analysis of the last three Alpine editions (Albertville 1992, Torino 2006, Milano Cortina 2026) and the forthcoming edition (Alpes Françaises 2030), the present study investigates how the IOC’s reformed policy framework, driven by escalating costs, mounting climate concerns, and legacy imperatives, is fundamentally reshaping the territorial organisation of the Winter Olympic Games. The analysis reveals a clear shift from locally concentrated host models towards progressively dispersed, multi-venue configurations spanning larger administrative regions. Winter Olympic Games growth has amplified infrastructural demands while simultaneously exposing the climatic vulnerability of Alpine host territories, which are warming at rates significantly above the global average. These converging pressures are pushing the IOC towards prioritising climatically reliable, existing venues and even rotating venue pools, fundamentally challenging Pierre de Coubertin’s original singlehost-city vision and redefining the geography of winter sport mega-events.