According to a Green Europe spokesman, Willi has sent a letter to Andrea Varnier, chief executive of the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation, proposing that the sliding events be held at the Igls track in Austria, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The offer of an alternative venue, which is in line with a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission, followed a meeting with Green Europe senator Aurora Floridia and the Green Europe Regional Councillor of Veneto, Cristina Guarda.

"The objective of this meeting," the Green statement said,  was to support the Italian authorities in the conclusion of an Italian-Austrian agreement with the city of Innsbruck for the Olympic disciplines of bobsleigh, luge and skeleton in view of the 2026 Olympics.

"This is why the mayor of Innsbruck has announced that a letter addressed to the CEO of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Foundation, Andrea Varnier, will be sent."

The Olympic Sliding Centre Innsbruck was opened in 1963, the year before the Austrian city hosted the Winter Olympic Games for the first time.

It subsequently hosted the sliding events during the 1976 Winter Olympic Games and the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

It has hosted many World Championships, most the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Championships in 2016 and the World Luge Championships in 2017. 

Last month Milan Cortina 2026 announced that no offers had yet been received for the task of extensively renovating the site of the Eugenio Monti track - which hosted competition at the 1956 Winter Olympics - following a tender procedure which had begun on June 5.

The release continued: "The critical issues, costs and prohibitive times for the total renovation of the Eugenio Monti track force politicians and technicians to make qualitative choices, as requested by the International Olympic Committee: use an existing track and not build new energy-intensive structures and economically unsustainable.

"Osvi, which manages the Innsbruck bobsleigh and luge track, is working on an offer to the Italian organisers of the 2026 Olympics which envisages - with a contribution of €12.5-15 million (£10.7-12.8million/$13.4-16million) - being able to organise the races in Innsbruck Igls and to plan a collaboration even after the Olympics aimed at relaunching and supporting Italian bobsleigh, luge and skeleton sports."

The release also underlined the potential savings of such a move.

“It would be about a tenth of the cost of a new structure in Cortina d'Ampezzo and would also reduce the costs of the Olympic venues linked to the sliding center, all in the spirit of the Euregio idea, an interregional collaboration between Tyrol, South Tyrol and Trentino: good cooperation and mutual support."

After failing to attract an offer from an open call to companies, the Games' body responsible for overseeing venue readiness Società Infrastrutture Milano Cortina 2026 (SIMICO) sent targeted invitations to an unnamed quintet of companies whose responses are yet to be publicised.

SIMICO is willing to allow 50 per cent of the work to be subcontracted by whoever takes it on, in the hope that it makes the proposal more attractive.

Costs for the facility have skyrocketed with the original expected figure of €41.7 million (£36.5 million/$45.3 million) increasing to €85 million (£72.9 million/$92.5 million).

But time is running out for the construction of the facility as a deadline of November 2025 has been set for its completion.

SIMICO had first put a price of around €80 million (£68 million/$87 million) for the contract but may yet have to increase the reward due to the worrying lack of interest.

An "acceleration bonus" has been offered to the company that takes on the project which has a maximum of 28 months allowed for construction.

Initial preparations for the venue were completed earlier this year, including demolition-controlled work near the track to clear the way for new installations.

But protestors have made their feelings known about the millions required to develop the new facility.

Hundreds gathered at the Piazza Angelo Dibona saying that money should go towards renovations for Cortina d'Ampezzo's cycle paths, public buildings, cinema, and swimming pool instead.

Continuing concerns have prompted the IOC Evaluation Commission to recommend two alternative options of existing sites - one being the Igls track in Innsbruck, the other being the track at St Moritz.