Norwegian IOC Member Defends Role in Beijing Winter Olympic Bid

(ATR) Despite the demise of Oslo 2022, Norwegian IOC member Gerhard Heiberg tells Around the Rings he is proud of his part in Beijing’s bid for the Winter Olympics.

"I smile, and I am a little happy that Beijing has worked out a concept for this ... that they have seen a possibility to develop winter sports in China," he told ATR.

"They need it because they are not that much involved in winter sports possibilities."

Heiberg has been forced to defend himself in recent weeks and months in the Norwegian media after he revealed his role in helping get a Winter Games bid from Beijing off the ground. Oslo’s bid collapsed last month when the government failed to back city’s Olympic ambition.

The former IOC marketing chief told ATR he did not have direct links with the Chinese Olympic committee, only at a political level after the Beijing Summer Olympics, between 2009 and 2011. Early discussions about an Olympic bid took place at this time, he said.

"I feel that I was once carrying the baby," he said.

"I was involved in the beginning, and I feel I gave some help in the decision to go for the [2022] Games. I am happy about it. I tried to pave the way for developing winter sports in China. That’s what we want, more new countries to compete for Winter Games," he explained.

"I had a talk with political leadership in China about what should they do next and came up with the idea they should apply for the Olympic Winter Games. I said that this could be very interesting for China, also to develop winter sports in the country," he added.

In 2010, he said a delegation of "high-powered people" from China visited 1994 Games host Lillehammer "to see what this [winter sports] was about and to see if could be of interest to China."

China’s political leaders and Olympic officials decided to further examine a Winter Olympics bid in the months that followed. Heiberg said he offered advice and helped give an oversight of the requirements: "I tried to give them some help in finding out if it was feasible or not".

"In 2011, Oslo decided togo into the [2022] Winter Games competition. After that, I have not been involved in the China bid," he added. "After that they have taken care of themselves, and now they are, together with Almaty, the two remaining bids for 2022."

Heiberg said he had not broken any IOC rules, insisting he had not picked up his association with China: "No, absolutely not."

Beijing faces competition from Almaty in the race for the 2022 Games, and Heiberg is not walking away from the Beijing project he helped birth.

"If China should win, maybe I will get involved again," he said.

Norwegian media have also quizzed Heiberg about his son Halvor’s involvement in the Beijing 2022 bid.

His son lives and works in Beijing, running a company that helps facilitate meetings between foreign investors and the Chinese construction sector.

Heiberg dismissed the suggestion that he or his son had ever advised the Chinese Olympic Committee or Beijing 2022 bid.

"He has not directly helped them at all but has organized meetings for people competing for possible arenas that could be built. He has advised people who come to have a look ... not only Olympic but winter sports possibilities," the 75-year-old said.

"I have not been involved in that. I am not involved in his company. He is on his own," Heiberg added.

The former head of the Lillehammer Winter Olympic organizing committee reiterated that he had not been involved after Oslo pulled out three weeks ago because IOC members are banned from visiting Olympic candidate cities.

"I have stayed out of that since Oslo started applying in 2011," he said when asked about any connections he had to the Beijing bid.

"We have been quite clear, my son and I, that we should stay out."

This week, Almaty and Beijing make their first pitches to an international audience. Presentations are scheduled at the ANOC general assembly in Bangkok on Nov. 7.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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