Italy's alpine ski team will pay tribute to the victims of a deadly fire in Crans Montana during this weekend's World Cup races. The gesture comes amid a diplomatic tension between Italy and Switzerland over the incident that killed six Italian nationals. The races serve as the final preparation before the Milano Cortina Olympics.
On January 27, the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI) announced that Italy's alpine ski team, participating in the World Cup races at Crans Montana, Switzerland, will honor the 40 victims of a fire that occurred earlier this month in the Swiss resort. The tragedy took place during a New Year party, claiming the lives of six Italian nationals among others, and has sparked a diplomatic dispute. Italy expressed outrage over Switzerland's handling of the fire inquiry, leading to the recall of its ambassador from Bern over the weekend prior to the announcement. The athletes, known as the Azzurri, plan to lay flowers at the disaster site and observe a minute's silence. During the competitions, they will wear black armbands to show respect. These races mark the last major test for the Italian team before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, scheduled to open in Milan on February 6, with the men's downhill event in Bormio following on February 7. The Italian men's team has shown strong form recently, boosted by 24-year-old Giovanni Franzoni's victory in the Kitzbuehel downhill on the preceding Saturday and his series of recent podium finishes, enhancing their prospects for Olympic gold. The International Ski Federation (FIS) and local organizers, including Swiss-Ski, confirmed on January 16 that the World Cup events would proceed, albeit with a reduced program. A minute's silence will precede the races, all side events will be canceled, advertising removed from the course, and no activities planned in the fan zone. Daytime events in Crans-Montana's center and at the local curling club are also scrapped. The schedule features a women's downhill on Friday, a women's super-G on Saturday, and a men's downhill on Sunday.
