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Should all go to plan, the 2020 Summer Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan, roughly one year behind schedule.
Once the world’s most high-profile international sporting outing has entered the history books, a vast infrastructure will await repurposing. With Europe having played host to more than 30 editions of the games, plenty remains to tempt those eager to try their hands at various types of sports. To whiz down a slope or swim a lap in the wake of a top-class athlete promises a thrill of its own. Here are some places you can aspire to your own personal best or indulge in your need for speed (in some cases, only once victory over the COVID-19 has been secured).
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy: The ski slope known as both Stratofana and Olimpia delle Tofane is regarded as one of the country’s most beautiful slopes. Host to the Men’s Alpine ski race in 1956, female skiers now battle it out here regularly as part of the World Cup races. With a Dolomite Superski pass, over 70 miles of nearby pistes are yours to explore.
https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Cortina-d-Ampezzo/Slopes
Innsbruck, Austria: Host to the very first world championships held back in 1935, Innsbruck’s Olympic ice track remains the venue for numerous bobsleigh, luge and skeleton world cup competitions, after having undergone numerous facelifts since then. Members of the public can experience the track first-hand, in the competent hands of an experienced pilot.
https://www.olympiaworld.at/en/angebote/gaeste-rennbob/
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany: Relics from when this idyllic Alpine resort town hosted the games in 1936 under the Nazi regime include the ski jump and the ice stadium. The latter, nowadays known as the Olympia-Kunsteisstadion, offers skating sessions to the public. A turn on the ice costs 6 euros for adults and 3 euros for children.
https://www.gw-gap.de/eissport-zentrum
Lillehammer, Norway: Scandinavia’s only bobsleigh and luge track offers fun year-round. In summer, the wheelbob is a four-man sled that can reach speeds greater than 60 miles per hour. The taxibob is a winter activity only for the brave of heart. A four-man bob whisks riders down an icy track at speeds approximating 75 miles an hour. Skeleton sled rides are available too.
https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/lillehammer-olympic-bob-and-luge-track/6260/
London, United Kingdom: The enormous steel sculpture named the ArcelorMittal Orbit is a remnant of London’s 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The UK’s tallest sculpture offers not only sweeping, 20-mile views over Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the London skyline, it’s also a plaything. A single ride down what’s billed as the world’s longest tunnel slide will set you back around 16.75 UK pounds.
https://arcelormittalorbit.com/
Munich, Germany: The Olympia-Schwimmhalle, host to the swimming events in 1972, is where the USA’s own Mark Spitz famously won his seven gold medals. Today, this vast aqua complex made up of indoor and outdoor pools as well as saunas, slides and diving boards, is open to all.
https://www.swm.de/baeder/schwimmen-sauna/olympia-schwimmhalle
