Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 Builds Public Support

(ATR) A bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics depends on political unity say Spanish Olympic leaders.

Without that concord the Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 candidacy for the Winter Olympics will "freeze" say IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch and Spanish Olympic Committee Alejandro Blanco.

The two men delivered similar messages last week at an event aimed at building support in the private and civil sectors for the Olympic project started three years ago.

The event in the main auditorium of FC Barcelona, was organized by Sport Cultura Barcelona, an institution for the promotion of culture and sports. The meeting brought together representatives of the main sports, cultural and economic associations of Barcelona that have issued their support.

No high-ranking political figures were invited to the meeting.

"It was a powerful act," Gerard Figueras, spokesman for the new Olympic initiative told Around the Rings. "We wanted to show that Catalan civil society provided its support without any politician from any institution or party," he says.

"It was a very thoughtful decision," says Figueras.

In his appearance Blanco said "civil society has made an approach to the political powers to organize a Games based on understanding, respect, dialogue and integration."

"It is what society asks for and what the Spanish Olympic Committee wants, in order to make this dream, which is the winter Olympic Games, come true," he said.

Samaranch said that there are real possibilities to organize the Games because the project "has everything and only thepolitical unity is missing. Politicians must agree to want these Games."

Samaranch also referred to the new approach of the IOC in the process for choosing future Olympic venues, one of the items on the agenda of the IOC Executive Board Oct. 3 in Lausanne.

With the new rules, there might not even be a choice.

"The IOC no longer grants a franchise to make a Games, as before, but seeks a constant dialogue," Samaranch said.

In this regard, he says designation of the 2030 Winter Games should take place in 2023 "but if the IOC sees that there is an organized force, it will not wait to grant them".

Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 is one of three locales with serious plans in the works to bid for a 2030 Olympics. Salt Lake City, aiming for an encore from 2002 is one of them. Sapporo, 1972 host, is the other.

Backers of the Catalan initiative say the political climate over the separatist movement from Spain does not affect the Olympic project.

According to Figueras, who is the general secretary of sports of the Government of Catalonia, the formalization of the candidacy will be made to the IOC after the new general elections in Spain Nov. 10.

In Figueras' opinion, the Olympic project "surpasses political ideology" and therefore can be defended by any president without distinction of political color.

Figueras said that on the basis of the IOC 2020 Agenda, the candidacy is "sustainable" and that "technically, it is ready".

Josep Maria Bartomeu, president of FC Barcelona, opened the conference with a generous offer from the football club. He declared that Camp Nou stadium, with room for 100,000 spectators, is available as the venue for opening or closing ceremonies.

Reported by Miguel Hernandez .