It’s no secret that the organizers of the 2026 Olympics are having a difficult time now, because they need to solve a lot of problems before the start of the Games, which are less than a month away. To all the misadventures of the Italians, the corpse of a man was added. No one listened to this man’s words in time.

Death in the cold

The long-suffering ice hockey arena in Milan is not the only problematic facility for the future 2026 Olympic Games. The arena in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where curling competitions will be held, is also not ready. A tragedy occurred at one of the structures of the complex, which is being reconstructed specifically for the Games. Security guard Pietro Zantonini, 55, worked the night shift and was mostly outdoors. The man complained to relatives about difficult working conditions, long night shifts and lack of proper protection.

On the night of January 8, which was very cold in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a terrible incident occurred at the site. It is known that Zantonini called a friend at two o’clock in the morning and complained of difficulty breathing. Soon the guard lost consciousness. Doctors who arrived at the scene were unable to save Pietro.

Olympic Stadium in Italy / Photo: © Julian Finney / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

“We are conducting an investigation”

The incident turned out to be so resonant that Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini had to express condolences. The organizers refused to take responsibility for the tragedy and said that the guard’s death was due to natural causes.

“The information we have suggests it was a heart attack.” We are conducting an investigation,” Andrea Warnier, director general of the Olympic organizing committee, told reporters.

The security guard’s family remembered the man’s complaints about hellish working conditions. The relatives have already hired a lawyer and contacted the police, demanding a full investigation into the death of Zantonini right at the workplace. Politician Luana Zanella also expressed support for the relatives.

— The death of Pietro Zantonini, a security guard tortured by the cold in Cortina d’Ampezzo on the construction site of the Olympic Games, causes us deep sorrow. We consider such extreme working conditions as unacceptable, which endanger people’s lives. We hope that the judicial authorities will shed light on what happened and quickly identify those responsible,” Adnkronos quotes Zanella as saying.

Now law enforcement agencies are awaiting the results of a court-ordered examination. It is its results that will be relied upon to identify those responsible.