Olympic Dilemma

"10 anni di noi, 10 anni con voi!"

"Ten years of us, ten years with you!" 
This phrase was written proudly on a huge sign in front of Sestriere's Olympic Village, or Villaggio Olimpico, as it is called in Italian. The Torino Winter Olympics in 2006 was a phenomenon of a decade ago, and in 2016 its aftershocks are still felt. Guido Bolatto, the secretary general of the Torino Chamber of Commerce, simply put it as an economic revolution. 

We are at a press conference in Sestriere, Torino, on the occasion of the 63rd winter meeting of the Ski Club International des Journalistes (SCIJ), trying to figure out the post-Olympics situation here. It seems that after 10 years the Olympics is still creating money in Vialattea, or the Milky Way, referring to the white slopes extending along the valley. The benefit is affective for all the Olympic Valleys Communities, namely Torre Pellice, Pinerolo, Pragelato, Sestriere, Sauze d'Oulx, Clavière, Cesana - San Sicario and Bardonecchia.  

Olympic Games, in general, are scrutinized for their sustainability and impact on local communities. The sustainability of Olympic constructions has become a big question in the last few decades. Recent practices have shown the games have become all about mega-constructions, unsustainable for post-Olympic use. The future of structures and facilities usually remains unplanned, and the cities hosting the games often face financial burdens in maintaining Olympic sites. Plus, the cost of the entire games usually doubles or triples the estimated budget, which adds to the financial catastrophe. Strangely, instead of boosting the local economy, the Olympic structures serve as a death kiss to a city, region or environment. Was this the case for Torino after 2006? It seems that...