Leading Alpine skiers say climate change is threatening the future of their sport as glaciers shrink across the Alps.
At the Winter Games in Cortina, athletes pointed to slopes where large ice fields once dominated the skyline.
Lindsey Vonn said many glaciers she trained on as a child have almost disappeared.
Mikaela Shiffrin added that skiers witness the changes up close each season.
Federica Brignone said the retreat of ice now raises wider fears for the planet.
Scientists confirm the scale of the loss.
Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s.
The remaining ice is retreating to higher elevations and shrinking faster in recent decades.
The nearby Marmolada glacier has halved in 25 years.
Researchers warn it could largely disappear by 2034 if warming continues at current levels.
Limiting global heating to 1.5°C could preserve dozens of Alpine glaciers.
The decline affects more than sport.
Glaciers store water, stabilise mountains and influence sea levels.
Athletes report poorer training conditions, with exposed rock, crevasses and flowing meltwater.
Many are now calling for stronger climate action and an end to fossil fuel sponsorship in winter sports.
They say the choices made this decade will determine how much ice – and how many Olympic venues – remain.
