Stockholm Åre 2026 support swells as IOC’s New Norm reforms resonate in Sweden
A new poll in Sweden has found that public support for Stockholm Åre 2026 rises to 63%, with just 11% opposing, when respondents are aware of IOC Olympic Agenda 2020 and New Norm-inspired sustainability safeguards embedded in the Games plan.
The poll was conducted by Kentar, one of Sweden’s most respected polling and research companies, part of the Kantar Group within WPP. The web-based poll was conducted 13-17 June with a random sample of 1 001 respondents aged 18-79 from the Kantar online panel.
The poll analysed respondents’ sentiments towards Stockholm Åre 2026 after they had been made aware of three fundamental, New Norm-inspired aspects of the Games plan: the Games will be self-financed from private sector revenues; the Games will use existing facilities and no new facilities will be built solely for the event; and the Games will be ‘climate smart’ with minimal environmental impact and minimal carbon emissions. The poll found that given those conditions, 63% of respondents are in favour of Stockholm Åre 2026, 26% are neutral or do not know, and just 11% are opposed. The proportion of people in favour of bringing the Games to Sweden rises to 74% among 18-29 year-olds and 70% among 30-34 year-olds.
Stockholm Åre 2026 CEO Richard Brisius said: "From the very beginning, the IOC made it clear to us that this is an opportunity to approach the Winter Games in a new way, and Stockholm Åre 2026 has embraced that opportunity. We will celebrate the achievements of Olympians and Paralympians in a magical winter wonderland – all while supporting the priorities of Swedish citizens and communities. Only 11% said that they are not in favour of the Games – and that shows the more Swedes know about the New Norm reforms, the more their passion for winter sports and Sweden’s first ever Winter Games will shine through."
The public opinion poll conducted for the IOC in March 2019 showed "support on the rise", with 55% of people in favour of Stockholm Åre 2026 nationally. The IOC Evaluation Commission report noted that the "latest figures were an indication that the public has started to embrace the impact of the Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm reforms and recognise how Sweden can deliver affordable, sustainable Games."
This week’s latest poll puts public support at similar levels to Paris and Los Angeles during the 2024 Candidature Process, where the IOC found 63% support in France and 64% in the United States.
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