(ATR) The city of Calgary is one step closer to deciding whether to pursue hosting the 2026 Winter Games.
The Calgary Olympic Bid Exploration Committee (CBEC) has completed its months-long study on the feasibility of a bid and has turned it over to the Calgary City Council, as reported by Canada’s Metro News.
The CBEC, a volunteer group, completed its task on time and under budget as it spent only C$3 million of the C$4.7 million it was approved to spend.
According to Metro News, the CBEC, Calgary city administration and a city consultant will present a report to the council later today. The final decision on whether the city will proceed with a 2026 bid won’t be revealed until July 24.
The city council’s final decision could be affected by what happens at the Extraordinary IOC Session on July 11-12 in Lausanne. Proposals aimed at lowering the cost of bidding beginning with the 2026 Olympics will be put forward at the Session and could make Calgary’s decision a bit easier.
Thus far, Switzerland is the only country to officially sign off on 2026 with a bid centered in Sion.
A Swiss NOC spokesperson tells Around the Rings "We welcome the changes proposed by the IOC. They would facilitate the 2026 Olympic bid race, reduce its costs and help the bid cities with know-how."
Given the number of existing venues in their bid, the Swiss view the IOC plans that would require less proof of feasibility for sports venues that regularly host international events as "particularly positive".
Other cities contemplating a bid for 2026 include former Winter Olympic host cities Innsbruck, Lillehammer and Sapporo along with Erzurum, Turkey.
Innsbruck plans to release its feasibility study to the public on June 21.
The 2018 and 2022 Winter Games are in Asia, making Europe or North America a more likely spot for 2026.
Written by Gerard Farek
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