IOC President Thomas Bach, right, is set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, centre, for the first time since last September ©IOC

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is set to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni next week when the debate over the location for the speed skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo is expected to be resolved.

According to Italian media, Bach is poised to fly to Italy for a meeting with Meloni on Tuesday (April 18).

It will be the second meeting between the two leaders after they met last September before she was sworn in as Italy's first female Prime Minister a month later.

The German official's arrival is set to coincide with a decision by the Milan-Cortina 2026 organisers on the host of the speed skating competitions as part of their venue masterplan.

Milan is expected to win its bid for the sport to be held at the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre, seeing off competition from Turin's Oval Lingotto.

Uncertainty has surrounded the staging of speed skating events at Milan Cortina 2026 since plans to build a roof over the outdoor ice rink in Baselga di Pinè were rejected.

The Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre is expected to be confirmed as the venue for speed skating events at Milan Cortina 2026 ©Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre
The Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre is expected to be confirmed as the venue for speed skating events at Milan Cortina 2026 ©Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre

The project was due to cost between €70 million (£62 million/$75 million) and €75 million (£65.5 million/$80 million) but authorities ruled it was too expensive, while the International Skating Union (ISU) was said to prefer an indoor oval.

The decision led to calls from Italy's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini for speed skating to be moved to Oval Lingotto, which was used at Turin 2006.

However, Milan officials including Mayor Guiseppe Sala rejected that suggestion and offered the use of the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre.

Sala and Salvini have been at loggerheads in the speed skating debate as they reportedly clashed during the fourth meeting of the Games Control Authority held in Rome on Wednesday (April 12).

According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, Salvini had requested clarification on the cost of staging the event at the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre and asked Sala to listen to the views of Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo and Piedmont Governor Alberto Cirio.

Milan Mayor Guiseppe Sala has clashed with Italy's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini over the location of speed skating competitions for the 2026 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images
Milan Mayor Guiseppe Sala has clashed with Italy's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini over the location of speed skating competitions for the 2026 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

Sala reportedly refused the requests, insisting that there should be no further delay to a decision on the venue.

The meeting also saw Milan Cortina 2026 chief executive Andrea Varnier report the results of analysis into the proposals by the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre and Oval Lingotto.

It is reported by La Stampa that the Milan option was favoured for the Games due to financial and organisational reasons.

The City of Milan proposes to use two of its 20 pavilions from the vast complex designed by the architect Massimiliano Fuksas.

A temporary ice rink with a 400 metres long track would be installed, along with 7,000 to 8,000 places for spectators and all required logistical support.

The development is estimated to cost around €20 million (£18 million/$22 million) and is subject to approval by the IOC and ISU.

The exhibition centre is already involved in the organisation of the 2026 Winter Games, with pavilions vouchsafed to house the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre.