Sion 2026 Bid Soldiers On

(ATR) The Sion 2026 bid says it won’t miss a beat despite the resignation of its president.

Not only does Swiss Olympic fully support its president Jürg Stahl replacing Jean-Philippe Rochat but the Swiss bid tells Around the Rings that Stahl’s appointment will strengthen its position for the next phase of the national nomination process.

Sion 2026 succeeded in getting the Swiss Federal Council to back the bid in October. Now the bid team must convince political representatives at the national, cantonal and municipal levels as well as umbrella bodies from various sectors to throw their support behind the bid by May 2018.

Stahl certainly has political experience, having just completed his term as president of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss Federal Assembly. He has served as a national councillor since 1999. He also has intimate knowledge of the Sion 2026 bid, given he was vice-president of the bid committee and had worked closely with Rochat on the project to this point.

Rochat quit last week, two weeks after L'Illustré magazine reported that his law firm "appears in the database" of the Panama Papers, the name given to the millions of leaked confidential documents from the Panamanian law firm and corporate service provider Mossack Fonseca.

Explaining his decision to step down, Rochat said in a statement "Certain discussions involving me could have jeopardized a project that I want to see succeed.

"My main objective was to convince the Federal Council to back the candidature. This is now done, and with the transmission of the file to Jürg Stahl, the first phase is over. The transition comes at the right time, as a logical continuation to this wonderful project."

Stahl is making sure he has the time to devote to the Sion 2026 bid. He has agreed to step aside from his duties as an executive board member for the insurance company Groupe Mutuel. He will continue to serve as a national councillor.

A Sion 2026 spokesperson tells ATR the fact that Stahl is from Zurich will also help the bid by giving it a wider approach that encompasses not only the cantons directly involved but the country as a whole.

"During this phase of public discussion and advocacy, we must demonstrate that modern and sustainable Games will create value for the sites selected and for all of Switzerland," Stahl says. "We will make it clear that the Games can be of benefit to everyone."

Stahl added that lessons have been learned from the other bids, and serious discussions have been taking place for months with the IOC as well as the sites planned for the events.

Written by Gerard Farek

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