Down to the Wire in Lausanne for 2026 Olympics

(ATR) The tightest race in a few years for an Olympics heads into a weekend sprint to the finish.

Milan and Stockholm are believed to be neck and neck in the contest for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. The IOC is set to pick a winner when it votes June 24 in Lausanne.

With the final days of the campaign ahead, leaders of the Stockholm bid held a round table briefing for about 20 reporters Friday.

Senior IOC member and a lead evaluator and taskmaster for multiple bids and organizing committees Gunilla Lindberg says Stockholm 2026 is impossible "without the New Norm."

Championed by IOC President Thomas Bach as a way to reduce the complexity and costs of bids, the New Norm is making its debut appearance in the 2026 bid cycle.

"We are thinking for the future," Lindberg said. "If the New Norm had not been decided by the IOC it would have been very difficult to find a host for the Games.

"I don't think we can compare bids from the 80's and 90's and before the New Norm when [Stockholm] were bidding for the Summer Games.

"Without the New Norm I think we would have problems in the future."

Unfortunately for Stockholm 2026, their weaknesses were, conversely, strong points for their Italian rival. Stockholm's public support has lagged far behind Milan's. Stockholm's new city government is yet to formally endorse the bid whereas Milan enjoys support from all levels of government--and the financial backing as well.

Lindberg downplayed the concerns saying Stockholm's bid has support from "all the parties".

"We know that it's a safe bid--it's a country of solid basis on every part."

Stockholm CEO Richard Brisius also emphasized the security of a Stockholm Winter Olympics.

"Sweden is a solid country. We have one of the safest and soundest finance systems not only on the business but also on the public side."

Enjoying the backing of a double-digit number of Swedish companies as a bid committee, he says corporate Sweden is already committing to the Olympics "to the extent we can have commitments before becoming an OCOG.

"For Sweden people don't say they will do things unless they mean it," says Brisius.

Just under 30 percent of the Stockholm OCOG budget would be privately funded. That number is "historically low" and he says Stockholm is striving to increase that amount.

Milan kept quiet Friday and did not hold a press event. The team from Italy, like the Swedes, is preparing for the arrival of the prime minister. Giuseppe Conte and his counterpart Stefan Löfven are both considered key players in the final presentations to the IOC Monday. Their sales pitch to the members could make the difference settling the question of which bid has the government support needed to deliver the Games in seven years.

The last race for the Winter Olympics four years ago was between Beijing and Almaty for 2022. But Beijing was heavily favored to win. The 2026 race is considered much closer, both bids from countries which have tried a few times across the past 20 years for both Summer and Winter Games.

The final push towards the IOC vote comes amid a fanfare of events around Olympic Day 2019 in Lausanne. Olympians such as Gabriela Sabatini take part in sports clinics Saturday while IOC President Thomas Bach will launch the first ever Olympic Day run to start from the new IOC headquarters.

More than 700 guests are invited for the inauguration of Olympic House Sunday, Olympic Day. The $140 million building has been in development since 2012.

Bach says the state of the art, ultra-sustainable building will make the IOC a better run and more efficient operation. He says that will mean long-term benefits supplying IOC resources to NOCs, federations and athletes.

Sunday night the IOC will salute the best TV content of the past year involving the Olympics with the Golden Rings Awards.

The 134th IOC Session gets underway Monday morning and runs through June 26.

Reported in Lausanne by Ed Hula.