Split Support for Sion 2026

(ATR) The Swiss government reiterates its support for Sion 2026 as a new poll indicates the bid faces an uphill battle to convince the public to back it.

The Swiss Federal Council asked the country’s parliament on Wednesday to approve spending up to $1 billion on a bid to host the 2026 Winter Games. The council initially endorsed the bid last October. The upper and lower houses of the Swiss parliament will debate and vote on the funding later in the year.

By then, such a discussion could be moot if a June 10 referendum in the canton of Valais fails to pass muster with the voters.

The latest poll, released on Tuesday, showed 58 percent of those questioned said they would vote "no" or "probably no" on funding the Sion 2026 bid. A poll released earlier this month had shown an almost even split.

Bid leaders are not letting the apparent slide in support deter them.

"We are in the middle of a very tough campaign and it would obviously be nice to be in the lead, even in random polls," said Jurg Stahl, president of both Swiss Olympic and Sion 2026. "This result is very useful as it shows that we have to keep fighting for our project and leave no stone unturned."

There are questions about how the latest poll, conducted by the research institute Sotomo for Swiss public television, was conducted. Around the Rings understands that it was not statistically representative because it was possible for people to participate in it as often as they wanted.

Sion 2026 bid organizers have been holding a series of informational events throughout the canton over the past weeks. They say "several hundred people" are in attendance at each of them.

Should Valais support the bid, the canton would contribute 100 million Swiss francs to the effort. If the voters oppose it, the Sion 2026 bid will be over.

"It is not all dire at all," Stahl says. "I also hear a lot of positive comments from people both in the street and on social media who understand that the Games concept of Sion 2026 is full of opportunities for them and free of major risks. Together with our athletes, they will continue to spread the word. We never said that it would be easy, but I am convinced that with a strong final stretch, we can win this race on June 10."

Sion is the first of the seven 2026 bids in the IOC’s dialogue stage to face a referendum. Graz, Austria could also face a referendum while a plebiscite will be required should the Calgary city government decide to support a bid. Sapporo plans to conduct a public survey to determine whether the 1972 Winter Olympics host city will bid for 2026 or 2030.

The other candidates currently in the dialogue stage are Stockholm, Sweden; Cortina d"Ampezzo, Milan and Turin, Italy; and Erzurum, Turkey.

In October, the IOC will be choosing cities for the candidature stage, the final phase of the bidding process. The candidature phase will culminate with the winner being decided at the IOC Session in Milan, Italy in September 2019.

Written and reported by Gerard Farek

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