ATR First: Stockholm 2026 Bid Still in Play

(ATR) The Swedish Olympic Committee tells Around the Rings that a potential 2026 Winter Games bid from Stockholm is still a possibility.

A spokesperson says the Swedish NOC is "still working and talking to the different political parties in Stockholm" and that "there is no official decision from the city of Stockholm yet."

This may come as a surprise to many who believed the Stockholm bid has been dead since late April.

The Social Democrats, who are the largest political party in a coalition that runs the Stockholm city government, announced on April 26 that the Swedish capital was bowing out of a 2026 bid.

At the time, the Swedish NOC told ATR the decision was "hasty and probably based on unclear facts" and said they would be in contact with all the political parties at Stockholm Town Hall to find a solution to keep the process on track.

A feasibility study conducted by the city council revealed in January that a Stockholm Olympic bid "is both possible and desirable".

Stockholm’s 2022 bid was derailed by a lack of political support and financial guarantees for a campaign led by the country’s sporting movement. The city has never hosted a Winter Olympics.

Innsbruck Feasibility Study To Be Revealed

The possibility of a 2026 bid from Innsbruck could be determined in short order.

A feasibility study has been completed and will be presented internally next week, a spokesperson for the Austrian Olympic Committee tells ATR. The public presentation and press conference is scheduled for June 21.

Austria NOC secretary general Peter Mennel told ATR recently that "serious discussions" about the bid will follow the study and that he believes the chances are better now than in the past.

Austria has bid three times in the past 15 years for the Winter Games, including two consecutive bids from Salzburg for 2010 and 2014. Innsbruck hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games and the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

So far, Switzerland is the only country that has officially entered the 2026 race with a bid centered in Sion. Besides Stockholm and Innsbruck, former Winter Olympic host cities Calgary, Lillehammer and Sapporo are also seriously considering a bid.

The 2018 and 2022 Winter Games are in Asia, making Europe or North America a more likely spot for 2026.

The IOC has said the 2026 bid cycle is expected to be opened prior to the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang next February. A host for the 2026 Games will be decided at the 2019 IOC Session.

But that timeline might not be accurate for long. The IOC Executive Board is meeting on June 9 and will be looking into possible changes to the process.

The IOC is keen to reverse a trend where a numberof cities dropped out of bidding for the 2022 and 2024 Games, leaving just two cities left for the final vote.

Written by Gerard Farek

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