Leading Alpine skiers have raised alarm over accelerating glacier loss during the Winter Olympics in Cortina.
Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin said the changes are visible across the mountains where they train.
Federica Brignone warned the retreat threatens the planet, not only skiing.
Glaciers once visible from Cortina have largely disappeared.
Italy has lost more than 200 square kilometres of glacier area since the late 1950s.
Scientists report the decline has accelerated in the past two decades.
The remaining ice in the Dolomites now sits at higher elevations.
Major glaciers such as the Marmolada are shrinking rapidly.
A massive collapse there in 2022 killed 11 hikers.
Researchers say the glacier could mostly vanish by 2034 if warming continues.
Athletes rely on glaciers for early-season training because of reliable snow.
Many say slopes they used as children are no longer usable due to rock, crevasses and meltwater.
They now see less snow each year at traditional training sites.
Projects tracking global ice loss show several local glaciers no longer meet minimum size thresholds.
Worldwide, more than 6.5 trillion tonnes of ice have disappeared since 2000.
Fewer locations may be able to host future Winter Games.
Scientists say limiting warming to 1.5°C could preserve about 100 Alpine glaciers.
Cutting fossil-fuel emissions this decade will determine how much ice remains.
Athletes argue their sport gives them a front-row view of climate change and a duty to speak out.
