Ittigen, Switzerland, 25th January 2017. In preparation of the upcoming decision by Swiss Olympic’s Executive Council about whether to put forward a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, a stakeholder survey conducted among 103 presidents, vice-presidents and general secretaries of Swiss summer and winter Olympic sport federations shows overwhelming support for a 2026 project.
The survey showed that the Swiss sport federations strongly support the idea of organising the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Of the respondents 96% would like to see Switzerland host the Games and 86% believe that organising the Games will boost sport in Switzerland. In addition to the potential for Swiss sport in general, 59% believe that hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Switzerland could increase the participation of people with a disability in sport.
In terms of the timing of the bid, 80% agree with the statement that "after the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea in 2018 and Beijing, China in 2022, 2026 is the right time for a Swiss bid". Furthermore, 83% of respondents are willing to play an active role during the international bid campaign.
The full results of the survey will be published together with a range of other stakeholder surveys on 7th March 2017 when the Swiss Olympic Executive Council meets to decide about a Swiss bid for the 2026 Games and the selection of a Swiss candidate city. All survey results and additional analyses are part of a report prepared for the Swiss Olympic Executive Council by a 2026 Taskforce.
Jürg Stahl, Swiss Olympic President, stated: "Since the inception of the 2026 project, Swiss Olympic has continuously been receiving positive feedback from all around the country. Having our members – both from summer and winter federations – express their support and commitment in such high numbers for 2026 is fantastic. Also personally, wherever I go, the enthusiasm is there. A real momentum is starting to be built for the future of winter sports in Switzerland, and the organization of both the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne and the 2021 Winter Universiade in Lucerne is a just another proof of that. The road is still long, but I really feel that something is brewing in our country around this Olympic ambition."
Didier Cuche, member of the 2026 Taskforce, added: "The Olympic Games are such an inspirational event and I am glad to see that the leaders of Swiss sport are as excited as I am about the idea of bringing the Olympic Games back to Switzerland. We still have work to do to develop the smartest possible project, but these results encourage us to continue in the direction we set at the start of this process."
For further information:
Fabio Gramegna, Media and Information Swiss Olympic, Tel +41 31 359 71 45
fabio.gramegna@swissolympic.ch
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