Giovanni Malagò has confirmed the July 10 deadline for the Italian Winter Olympic bid ©Getty Images

A decision on which city leads the potential Italian bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be made on July 10, it has been announced.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Milan and Turin and are each being considered but a decision-making process was repeatedly delayed earlier this year until a new Italian Government was in place.

Independent candidate Giuseppe Conte was finally sworn in as Prime Minister at the beginning of this month to lead a coalition between the anti-establishment Five Star and the right-wing nationalist Northern League.

However, Conte has not yet publicly addressed the Olympic project given the distractions elsewhere.

The Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) have repeatedly said that it will be up to the Government to decide whether to proceed with a bid.

But it appears that they have set their own July 10 deadline to ensure there is enough time to finalise the chosen project before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decide who to put forward to the candidature stage of the contest at their Session in Buenos Aires in October. 

The three bids must all present feasibility studies by July 3.

CONI President Giovanni Malagò has met informally with Giancarlo Girogetti, the undersecretary and a close ally of Conte, but no appointments specifically related to sport have yet been made by the new Prime Minister.

Giuseppe Conte, left, pictured with French President Emmanuel Macron today, has not yet publicly commented on the potential Winter Olympic bid ©Getty Images
Giuseppe Conte, left, pictured with French President Emmanuel Macron today, has not yet publicly commented on the potential Winter Olympic bid ©Getty Images

Italy has no Sports Ministry and CONI effectively fill this role.

Milan is still thought to be the favoured choice of CONI, where Giuseppe Sala is the pro-Olympic Mayor.

Turin also hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and, while the Mayor Chiara Appendino is supportive, around five councillors are not.

The Cortina bid is considered an outsider but has the support of Northern League Governor Luca Zaia.

One intriguing prospect, following the failed referendum in Sion and the collapse of the Swiss bid last week, concerns the potential sliding sport venue in Italy.

Speculation is growing that Milan would consider using the existing track in St Moritz in Switzerland - rather than one in Turin - but this has not yet been confirmed or even publicly proposed.

Graz in Austria, Calgary in Canada, Sapporo in Japan, Erzurum in Turkey and Stockholm in Sweden are other cities still bidding for the 2026 Games.

A final decision is set to be made next year.