Referendum Not on Radar for Stockholm Olympic Bid

(ATR) The Swedish NOC’s chief executive tells Around the Rings that a public vote on a Stockholm bid for the 2026 Winter Games is "not likely".

Referendums have ended five Olympic bids over the last two bidding cycles, with Budapest 2024’s future now set to be decided on one. But Peter Reinebo insisted it wasn’t important the public have a vote before any Stockholm bid is launched.

"No referendum is discussed and this is not likely," he told ATR.

The Swedish NOC leader’s comments come days after Hungary’s Momentum movement collected over 250,000 signatures on a petition to force a referendum on Budapest’s Olympic bid.

A feasibility study conducted by the city council revealed last month that a Stockholm Olympic bid "is both possible and desirable". The NOC’s next step is to develop a sustainable Olympic concept that can bring the Games to Stockholm.

"The political discussions will now be very important. The city’s analysis will form the basis of a 12-week consultation with stakeholders, including political parties at national and local levels, Sweden’s winter sports federations and the NOC," Reinebo said.

Reinebo said that a dedicated Olympic Winter Games committee will be formed in the spring to start working on communications and marketing in preparation for Stockholm becoming a candidate city.

A decision by the Stockholm city council on whether to proceed with the 2026 bid is expected by September "at latest". If it gets the green light – and is also approved by the sports movement and national government – an application would be made to the IOC in March 2018 soon after the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.

IOC executive board member Gunilla Lindberg underlined Stockholm’s strengths as an potential Olympic bidder in an interview with ATR in Sapporo where she is attending the Asian Winter Games.

Lindberg said Stockholm would deliver a cost-effective Olympic proposal.

"We are working on that," she told ATR.

"Stockholm is a city where we have hosted world championships many times now in ice hockey, so we have the big venues already," said the Swedish IOC member.

A sliding track would be needed but many events are earmarked for downtown Stockholm, although downhill ski racing would be staged at Åre, which is hosting the World Alpine Ski Championships in 2019.

"Infrastructure for us is good. We don’t need a new airport, we have the hotels and we have the infrastructure. So hopefully we will move forward."

"We are a big winter sports nation. Of course we want to host the Winter Games," she added.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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