(ATR) The president of the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) will conceivably have more time to devote to a potential 2026 Winter Games bid by the end of 2017.
Karl Stoss revealed this week that he will not be extending his contract as the head of the Casinos-Austria Group past the end of this year, according to Austrian media reports.
The 60-year-old gambling boss did not mention a possible 2026 bid by Innsbruck as a reason for stepping down. But he did cite "social commitment" as one of several personal reasons why he was moving on.
Stoss was elected to a third term as Austrian NOC president on March 1 in Vienna. He was elected to the IOC in 2016 as the sole member in Austria.
He has a lot on his plate. Besides working to prepare the Austrian team for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang this February, Stoss awaits the results of a feasibility study being prepared for Innsbruck that should be ready by late May.
Austrian NOC Secretary General Peter Mennel told Around the Rings in March that "serious discussions" about the bid will follow the study. 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.
Thus far, Switzerland is the only country to officially enter the 2026 race with a bid centered in Sion. Former Winter Olympic host cities Calgary, Lillehammer and Sapporo, along with Stockholm and Erzurum, Turkey, are also contemplating an Olympic bid.
The 2026 bid cycle is expected to be opened by the IOC prior to the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang next February. A host for the 2026 Games will be decided at the 2019 IOC Session.
Written by Gerard Farek
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