MILAN (AP) — A controversial new sliding center for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics has “surpassed expectations” said the International Olympic Committee — one of its fiercest opponents. The century-old track in Cortina became a contentious issue as it had to be completely rebuilt in a tight timeframe, necessitating a Plan B option that would have required moving bobsled, luge and skeleton events all the way to Lake Placid, New York. The local organizing committee went ahead with the project despite staunch opposition from the IOC, which wanted to use an existing track in nearby Austria or Switzerland instead.