Polish NOC Denies Report of 2030 Bid Talks

(ATR) The Polish Olympic Committee is denying reports that it has been talking with the Czech Republic NOC about the possibility of a joint bid for the 2030 Olympics.

A Polish NOC spokesperson tells Around the Rings that the idea of a joint bid is only "media fact" and that the Polish Olympic Committee is not involved in any way with such an initiative.

According to the Polish sports daily Przeglad Sportowy, discussions between the neighboring NOCs have been ongoing for a bid that could feature as many as 10 cities in the two countries.

The report stated that the Polish mountain cities of Karpacz and Szklarska Poreba, which are located along the Czech border, have been the focus of early discussions along with the possibility of an opening ceremony in Wroclaw and closing ceremony in Prague.

The spokesperson tellsATR that the Polish NOC, while not a part of any discussions, is not against a possible joint bid.

If Poland were to be a part of joint bid, the country will be hoping the attempt would work out better than the one for the 2022 Winter Games. Krakow’s bid, which included holding the alpine skiing events in Jasna, Slovakia, was torpedoed in the early stages by a failed referendum.

Given the current IOC calendar where decisions for hosting Olympic Games are decided seven years in advance, the 2030 Winter Games are unlikely to be awarded until 2023.

The next two winter Olympics are in PyeongChang in 2018 and Beijing in 2022.

The most serious bidders for 2026 appear to be Calgary, Sapporo, Innsbruck, and the winner of the two competing bids in Switzerland. The IOC is expected to decide on a host in 2019.

Written by Gerard Farek

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