2026 Winter Olympics - 7 expressions of interest

[Karen-W]

I'd rule Asia out. Turkey would be a tough sell. Sion is so small but they have applied a few times and done fairly well so they may be strongly considered.

Nordic cities have backed out in the past over costs. Sweden has recently slashed Olympic funding as apparently the government funding has dried up. 2x world champ / 2x Olympic medalist Nik Edin just announced his #2 world ranked curling team just got stripped of its $150K (US) funding for training and travel to competitions. Not results based. Just no Olympic investment. I'm highly skeptical of their sincerity as a result.

Calgary I think will go hard after the bid. It's the inertia they need to attract funding to build a new arena and keep their NHL hockey franchise. The arena issue has been at an impasse for years so they need a breakthrough.

I see CAN, SUI and ITA being the real 3 contenders.

What about Austria?

 

[Ohyes]

Don't think Austria will get it tbh. It will come down to Italy/ Canada/Switzerland

 

[Rock2]

I wouldn’t be so sure of that. As much as Albertans would love to have another Olympics, we are going through difficult political and economic times. There is a lot of concern about the cost and many people think now is not a good time to be spending money on an Olympics.

Understood. Your best hope is Justin kicks in and your mayor backs the bid.
I can't imagine your premier would be too supportive.

Depends on who steps up...and who backs away.

 

[Rock2]

What about Austria?

I think the IOC will favor certainty and cost containment since there is a lot of citizen backlash on cost of the games. Turin/Calgary have a shot based on this.

As for entrants who have never hosted, Sion has a longer and more successful bid history, almost landing the games a few times, including 2006 when they finished second in the voting to Turin.

IOC seems to be pretty good about not endlessly torturing cities who bid a number of times and do well. They eventually get the games.

Graz has bid once, getting straight up zero votes in 2002. I don't see them getting it over Sion.

 

[WildRose]

Understood. Your best hope is Justin kicks in and your mayor backs the bid.
I can't imagine your premier would be too supportive.
Depends on who steps up...and who backs away.

I’m in Edmonton but I don’t know anyone in Calgary that thinks it’s a good idea. The Feds have already said they will kick in and so has the Province but it’s still our tax dollars that would be paying for it. Provincial support is dependent on a plebiscite and I think they will have trouble winning it given the current mood.

 

[berthesghost]

Did citizens really want the Vancouver Olys? Because the Olys have been happening in most places thru sheer political strong arming for quite a while now.

 

[Karen-W]

I think the IOC will favor certainty and cost containment since there is a lot of citizen backlash on cost of the games. Turin/Calgary have a shot based on this.

As for entrants who have never hosted, Sion has a longer and more successful bid history, almost landing the games a few times, including 2006 when they finished second in the voting to Turin.

IOC seems to be pretty good about not endlessly torturing cities who bid a number of times and do well. They eventually get the games.

Graz has bid once, getting straight up zero votes in 2002. I don't see them getting it over Sion.

Well, assuming that Sion makes it to the end (and I think the IOC will do everything within its power to sweeten the pot and ensure all of the European bids make it to the end), then I see your rationale for why Graz won't win. But if Sion and Stockholm fall to referendums, and Graz is still standing, then their chances of being the winner rise exponentially over a spread out Italian bid.

 

[fsfann]

Can you please explain further how you know this and what will happen to solve the city's financial struggles?

Anti pipeline policies that are crippling the oil industry.

I'm hardly a troll. LOL.

Just because I may have a different political opinion than some here, doesn't mean I'm a troll LOL.

Personally, I'm just tired of the arrogance of this PM and his Finance Minister.

Will Calgary's problems all of a sudden be solved? No. I over simplified that... but they would be helped with a change in government.

 

[Rock2]

I’m in Edmonton but I don’t know anyone in Calgary that thinks it’s a good idea. The Feds have already said they will kick in and so has the Province but it’s still our tax dollars that would be paying for it. Provincial support is dependent on a plebiscite and I think they will have trouble winning it given the current mood.

IOC will definitely monitor public opinion.

I only recently learned that Denver was initially awarded the 1976 winter Olympics. And then later on the public had to vote for $5M in funding to cover some costs and they shot it down big time. The hosting committee was stuck and IOC had to move the games to Innsbruck.

I think since then the IOC learned its lesson to ensure public support and funding was locked. So yeah, if that's not in place at game time, Calgary won't make it.

 

[Rock2]

Well, assuming that Sion makes it to the end (and I think the IOC will do everything within its power to sweeten the pot and ensure all of the European bids make it to the end), then I see your rationale for why Graz won't win. But if Sion and Stockholm fall to referendums, and Graz is still standing, then their chances of being the winner rise exponentially over a spread out Italian bid.

Oh for sure.
I think the tougher sells right now are anywhere in Asia and probably Turkey. Everyone else has a legit shot.

 

[overedge]

Calgary doesn't have "financial issues". If it couldn't afford the Games, it wouldn't have put in a bid. But the city has indicated it has other priorities that it could spend its $$$ on (e.g. improving transit/traffic, affordable housing, reducing homelessness) that it feels would have much better long term outcomes. Its spending preferences are what will guide its decision.

 

[Jammers]

With 3 straight Olympics between 2018 through 2022 i think Asia shouldn't get another Olympic games until at least 2030. NA is going to be hosting the 2028 summer games and i think Canada getting the winter games in 2026 would be the right thing to do since NA hasn't hosted an Olympic games since 2010.

 

[swissskate]

Definitely won't be in Sion, got refused today by 54% of the local citizens. Even the city of Sion refused the 100 mio CHF credit to organize the Olympic Games.

 

[SpeedySucks]

Definitely won't be in Sion, got refused today by 54% of the local citizens. Even the city of Sion refused the 100 mio CHF credit to organize the Olympic Games.

Sapporo has recently said they’d prefer to wait until 2030. I can’t imagine any of the other European bids surviving at this point, so Calgary seems like the only hope of avoiding the Games going to Turkey.

 

[Ohyes]

Definitely won't be in Sion, got refused today by 54% of the local citizens. Even the city of Sion refused the 100 mio CHF credit to organize the Olympic Games.

and 67 percent of Calgarians wanted it to be held there. It's starting to look like Calgary is going to get it fine by me though. If not sion i wanted Calgary. Plus they already have the places built.

 

[snoopysnake]

I would like to see the USA get it in 2030 in the 50th anniversary year of 1980, especially if it could be in Lake Placid again.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I would love for Lake Tahoe to finally get it!!!!

 

[Debbie S]

I would like to see the USA get it in 2030 in the 50th anniversary year of 1980, especially if it could be in Lake Placid again.

I doubt it would be held in LP again. The Winter Games were a lot smaller then, and I remember reading about problems with traffic and access to the venues. Given the current size and scope (and financial demands), large cities (or regions with a lot of infrastructure or willing to build, like South Korea) are best-suited to host.

 

[Lacey]

I am such a worry wart--having nothing to do with the athletics, I would worry about the roads to and from and in and around Lake Placid not being able to handle traffic.

I typed this earlier today and held it while trying to finish gardening in the raindrops. My response is the same as above. I remember driving home from a Skate America there, slipping and sliding in our all wheel drive car down to lower NY.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I finally got to see Lake Placid. It is beautiful, but no way could it host the Olympics again. Very difficult to get in and out of Lake Placid - but that is part of its charm.

 

[Kasey]

I would love for Lake Tahoe to finally get it!!!!

There's a lot of locals who aren't thrilled with the idea, and when considering that lodging may well extend down to Carson City and Reno, infrastructure may be an issue. I guess we'll see.

 

[npavel]

Sion would be lovely. I really would go there

 

[clairecloutier]

Graz, Austria, has dropped out of the 2026 Olympics bidding race.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/arti...m-2026-winter-olympic-and-paralympic-bid-race

Remaining candidates are Calgary; Stockholm; Sapporo; Erzurum, Turkey; and Italy (3 cities are possible).

 

[SpeedySucks]

Hope people are ready for Erzurum, because that’s the only city that is likely to make it to the finish line at this point.

 

[mag]

If we are ruling out countries with human rights abuses then I don’t see a US city getting it for 2030 unless there is a change in regime in 2020.

 

[Kateri]

Hope people are ready for Erzurum, because that’s the only city that is likely to make it to the finish line at this point.

...am I the only one who thinks Erzurum would be really cool?

(ok, only because my friend just wrote a book about it, but still!)

 

[Vagabond]

...am I the only one who thinks Erzurum would be really cool?

No.

Plus, it appears to be a suitable site for outdoor winter sports, which is more than can be said of Zhangjiakou.

 

[giselle23]

I finally got to see Lake Placid. It is beautiful, but no way could it host the Olympics again. Very difficult to get in and out of Lake Placid - but that is part of its charm.

But it did host the Olympics in 1980...

 

[skatingguy]

Graz, Austria, has dropped out of the 2026 Olympics bidding race.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/arti...m-2026-winter-olympic-and-paralympic-bid-race

Remaining candidates are Calgary; Stockholm; Sapporo; Erzurum, Turkey; and Italy (3 cities are possible).

Hope people are ready for Erzurum, because that’s the only city that is likely to make it to the finish line at this point.

After what happened with Russia I don't see the IOC going to Turkey if they can at all avoid it, given the current political situation in that country.

 

[SpeedySucks]

After what happened with Russia I don't see the IOC going to Turkey if they can at all avoid it, given the current political situation in that country.

The IOC may not have a choice - it is very possible that Erzurum will be the only city to make it to the finish line in this race. Stockholm lacks government support and will likely drop out. Italy’s last-minute bid is a disorganized mess, and Rome pulled out of the bidding process for 2020 and 2024 due to lack of government support. Sapporo has said it would prefer to wait until 2030, and Calgary’s bid is hanging on by a thread and awaiting a plebiscite in the fall.

If the IOC doesn’t want to go to Erzurum, then they need to cut the city from the “short list.” If they do that, though, it’s possible they’ll end up with no cities making it to the final vote, and there’s no way the IOC wants to face an embarrassment like that.