(ATR) The IOC’s new roadmap for choosing Olympic host cities goes from the theoretical to the actual as the invitation phase for the 2026 Olympics opens this month.
The changes to the bidding process for hosting an Olympic Games were approved by the IOC in July. They’re aimed at creating more choices and more competition by making it more affordable for cities and regions to bid.
The 2026 Olympics will be the first to be run under the new rules, which include lengthening the invitation phase to one year and cutting the candidature phase from two years to one year. The longer invitation stage will give potential bidders more time to determine if they are the right fit while the shorter candidature stage will keep the cost of bidding down.
The IOC says it will provide more support and expertise, limiting the need for hiring expensive outside experts.
These latest measures follow Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms calling for a reliance on existing venues when bidding. The 2026 bids from Sion, Innsbruck and Calgary have all taken it to heart.
Sion plans to use the bobsleigh track in St. Moritz, built for the 1948 Games, as part of a bid that will include much of western Switzerland.
Innsbruck intends to use existing facilities throughout the Tirol region of Austria as well as southern Germany.
The elephant in the room for an Olympic bid these days is whether the people want to help pay for it.
The lack of public support over the last few years has doomed many an Olympic bid. Most recently, Boston, Hamburg and Budapest bowed out of the 2024 race either under the threat of, or after losing, a referendum.
Innsbruck 2026 organizers are currently trying to drum up support with an "Olympic Roadshow" throughout the Tirol region ahead of a referendum on October 15.
Sion has the support of Swiss Olympic but is awaiting the initial results of a review of the bid by the Swiss Federal government that is expected by mid-October. A final decision is not scheduled until May 2018. Should Federal support be approved, there is still the possibility that a referendum in the canton of Valais could be held in the fall of 2018.
City governments in Calgary and Stockholm have yet to be convinced that bidding for the 2026 Olympics makes sense. But the IOC’s new bidding process could help change some minds.
The Calgary City Council voted in August to continue exploring the possibility of a bid. The panel is happy that there is more time to decide as it seeks more details about the rules changes. The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee’s initial report, released in July, showed a shortfall of US $1.92 billion. The CBEC is now looking into finding potential funding opportunities that would prevent the city of Calgary from having to foot the bill.
The new IOC rules could also help the cause for Stockholm. The Swedish NOC says it is studying the possibility of hosting in 2026 despite reports in April that the city government doesn’t want to bid.
The Swedish NOC says it will report back to all stakeholders in early October.
Other cities that have shown interest in a bid for 2026 include Erzurum, Turkey, and the 1972 Winter Olympics host, Sapporo, Japan.
With the next two Winter Olympics and next three Olympics in total being held in Asia, it is likely that the IOC will want the 2026 Games in Europe or North America.
The official candidature phase begins in October 2018 with the vote for the 2026 host expected in October 2019 at the IOC Session in Milan, Italy.
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Written by Gerard Farek
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