Two curling stones were stolen in recent days from the ice stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the venues hosting competitions for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
The stones - essential pieces of equipment for the sport - are valued at around €800 each, bringing the estimated total loss to about €1,600. The theft has been reported to the Polizia di Stato.
The news was first reported by the Austrian news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) and was later confirmed locally in Cortina.
The stolen stones had been used during the days leading up to the opening ceremony, particularly during the early matches of the mixed doubles curling tournament.
Mixed doubles is one of the innovations of this year’s Paralympic programme, marking the first time the discipline has been officially included in the competition.
Despite the incident, organisers have reassured athletes and spectators that the theft will not disrupt the tournament schedule. All matches planned at the Cortina curling venue - one of the symbolic sites of the Winter Games jointly hosted by Lombardy and Veneto - are expected to take place as scheduled.