The Oval Lingotto in Turin is being considered as a possible venue for the speed skating competition at Milan Cortina 2026.

Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini has formally proposed to relocate the event from Baselga di Piné to Turin, with the International Skating Union preferring to have an indoor oval for the Games.

The move appears to be part of a bigger plan to have the Piedmont region play a greater role in Milan Cortina 2026 as doubts persist over whether facilities in Lombardy will be ready in time for the Games.

Riccardo d’Elicio, vice-president of Turin 2025, said he hoped the speed skating competition would take place at the Oval Lingotto, which was built for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics.

"We will be one year before the Games, so it will be the perfect test event," d’Elicio told insidethegames.

"Back in 2007, the Olympics were like a test event for the University Games as we held it one year after."

D’Elicio also believes that the Winter World University Games could be used as a "rehearsal" for volunteers wanting to work at Milan Cortina 2026.

Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo said he welcomed the opportunity of playing a part in staging the Games in three years’ time.

"We are working to use these kinds of events such as the University Games as a sort of test event for the 2026 Winter Olympics," Lo Russo told insidethegames.

"Now there is discussion at the present time about the potential location of some of the competition.

"As the Piedmont region and the city, we will give the opportunity to use our plans for this 2026 Games because we have been the host city in 2006.

"We have a very important legacy with very nice plans that could be reused for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

"There are discussions with the [Italian] Government and both the National [Olympic Committee] and International Olympic Committee in order to have the possibility of entering into this opportunity for the city and therefore we can use the University Games as a test event for the Winter Olympics.

"As the host city for 2006 we have all the facilities inside our territory but probably the best option is to use the city plan which is the main oval for the speed skating and short track.

"It’s located inside the city and is ready to be reused for these kinds of events without construction of any new plans."