Top alpine skiers have raised alarm over accelerating glacier loss during the Winter Olympics in Cortina.
Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Federica Brignone said the changes are clearly visible from the mountains where they train.
Glaciers once seen from the host town have largely disappeared.
Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s.
Scientists report the pace of melting has accelerated in the past two decades.
Athletes rely on glaciers for early-season training and consistent snow.
Vonn said many of the glaciers she used as a child have already vanished.
Shiffrin described winter athletes as having a “front-row view” of climate change.
The retreat has practical and global consequences.
It threatens water supplies, increases mountain hazards and contributes to sea-level rise.
The largest glacier in the Dolomites, Marmolada, has halved in 25 years and could mostly disappear by 2034 under current warming.
Limiting global heating to 1.5°C could preserve more Alpine ice and extend the life of some glaciers.
Researchers say decisions made this decade will determine how much ice survives.
Other competitors echoed the concern.
They reported less snow, more exposed rock and dangerous crevasses on training slopes.
Several called for stronger climate action and an end to fossil fuel sponsorship in winter sports.
Skiers warned that without rapid emission cuts, the future of their sport and the mountain environment is at risk.
