(ATR) Swiss Olympic president Jörg Schild says a strong Swiss bid for the 2026 Olympics can be a catalyst for industry and economic growth in winter sports in his country, while taking a jab at Beijing 2022.
Four possible regional bids are being evaluated by a 12-member task force with a final decision expected to be made by Swiss Olympic in March.
"The final project must be so visionary," Schild said. "It must have a strong influence, not only for the host city and its region, but for Switzerland as a whole.
"If we come up with an extraordinary project that meets our criteria, I am sure we can win," Schild said. "Winter sports must return to the mountains with snow. We do not want an application such as the Beijing Games 2022."
Calgary 2026 Bid Committee Structure Change
The Calgary City Council – which has allocated up to $5 million to fund the work of the Calgary 2026 Winter Olympic Games Bid Committee – has voted to take 75 per cent control of the committee.
Previously, the bid committee was jointly owned 50-50 between the city of Calgary and Tourism Canada.
"What we had before was a 50-50 share, but the dispute resolution made it very clear that council had the final say, and this just clarifies that a little bit, and I think all parties are satisfied with it," Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi told CBC News last week.
The City Council will determine whether to move forward with a bid next year following the committee’s evaluation of the city's existing sports facilities and the structure of an Olympic bid, including a potential cost.
Milan for 2019 IOC Session
As the Italian Olympic Committee "suspended" the Rome 2024 candidature on Tuesday, it also announced that it is nominating Milan as a host city for the IOC Session in 2019.
"After 'No' to Roma 2024, it is imperative to give a better image of Italian sport," CONI president Giovanni Malago said at a Rome news conference, discussing new sporting projects, notably the Milan 2019 bid.
Should Milan win the bid for the session, it would be prohibited by IOC rules to put forth a bid for the 2026 Winter Games, which will be determined at the 2019 session.
Written by Brian Pinelli
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