UPDATE: Sweden loses 2030 Winter Olympic candidacy bid

UPDATE: Wednesday, November 29 at 9:57 pm

SWEDEN’S hopes of hosting the 2030 Winter Olympics were dealt a massive blow this Wednesday, November 29, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the sole candidate was the French Alps.

As reported in a statement, France will now enter into ‘targeted dialogue’ with the IOC, as will Salt Lake City in the United States, which was chosen as the sole candidate for the 2034 Games.

In a statement, Karl Stoss, the head of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) future host commission, said: ”The IOC will now start more detailed discussions with the Preferred Hosts, led by their National Olympic Committees (NOCs), with the aim of awarding both editions at the 142nd IOC Session in July in Paris’.

Switzerland was the other country hoping to host the 2023 Games, and it was subsequently offered an olive branch by the OIC.

“The IOC EB (executive board) decided to grant the non-edition-specific project, Switzerland 203x, a special status by inviting it into ‘Privileged Dialogue’ for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2038′, the IOC added.

—————————————————————-

UPDATE: Wednesday, November 22 at 0:54 am

On Tuesday, November 21, Stockholm city council publicly announced its intention of supporting Sweden’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2030.

In a statement, it said: ‘The city council supports the initiative for a Swedish candidacy for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games’.

Karin Wanngård, Stockholm’s financial councillor, announced to the National Olympic Committee that the city was behind a goal-oriented dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

‘We believe that Sweden wins by Sweden winning. The IOC will invest at least SEK 10 billion in our country if Sweden is awarded the Olympics and Paralympics in 2030. The Games will be an engine for the tourism industry, important for Sweden’s image and a celebration for the entire people’, commented the IOC chairman Hans von Uthmann.

——————————————————-

Sunday, November 12 at 4:04 pm

THE Swedish Government confirmed this Sunday, November 12, that a potential bid for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is being taken very seriously.

Officials in Stockholm notified the Swedish Olympic Committee, the Swedish Paralympic Committee and the Swedish National Sports Confederation of their decision.

Speaking with svt.se, Jakob Forssmed, the Minister of Social Affairs and Sports, explained: ‘We will now test the conditions for providing guarantees for the games. Financial guarantees, guarantees that the authorities cooperate with the organisers, and guarantees for safety’.

Will it cost the Swedish taxpayers?

When asked how much it would cost taxpayers in the event of the 2030 event being awarded to Sweden, Forssmed told the news outlet: ‘It is not intended that the Swedish taxpayers contribute money to the Olympic budget. The Olympic Games must stand on their own financial merits’.

A prerequisite for the government is that the games should be sustainable and cost-effective. On this topic, the sports minister indicated: ‘We need games that take place in democratic countries, which can be based on economic and environmental sustainability’.

‘No showy constructions, but rather that we use what we have in a good and wise way and get Games that are more reasonable and something for the Swedish people to look forward to’, Forssmed continued.

Stockholm is intended to be the main location, although other planned locations include Falun, Åre and Östersund. However, the politician suggested that it could also be relevant to stage some of the competitions in neighbouring countries. For example, ice skating in Norway, and bobsleigh, luge and skeleton in Latvia.

What are the next steps?

Today’s announcement is only the beginning, many obstacles still remain, Forssmed pointed out. ‘We will investigate the conditions for the guarantees required for this, but basically, we have a positive view’, he insisted.

Asked which sport he would like to follow should the Olympics be held in Sweden, Forssmed replied: ‘I’m a fan of snow sports, so cross-country skiing and biathlon are two of my favourite sports’.

Sweden is not alone in wanting to stage the prestigious sporting event. Switzerland and France have also announced that they want to organise the Winter Olympics in 2030. A decision by the Olympic committee ultimately depends on which countries make an application.