2026 Winter Olympics

[Started at 53]

Where will they be?

There was talk a while back that SLC was the likely location when a couple of European cities unofficially said no thanks.

Thoughts?

 

[Cheizz]

Quite a few cities named here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/news/2026-winter-olympics-bidding-cities/

 

[AlpsSkidad]

Quite a few cities named here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ski/news/2026-winter-olympics-bidding-cities/

yes , but Sion and Innsbruck have dropped out since the article was written which is probably what @Started at 53 is referencing.

 

[Started at 53]

yes , but Sion and Innsbruck have dropped out since the article was written which is probably what @Started at 53 is referencing.

Correct

Seem the cost and graft of the IOC has some perspective sites running, hence the question

 

[Jilly]

Calgary is holding a referendum this fall about hosting 2026. All of the infrastructure is still being used from 1988. In fact Canmore has a housing crisis and wants the games so they can build athlete housing to turn into affordable housing.

I'll go look for a link to the cost they outlined. But I think it was 1/2 of Vancouver.

 

[DanoT]

Correct

Seem the cost and graft of the IOC has some perspective sites running, hence the question

It is the cost, graft, and IOC elitist posture that has turned me from supporting a Calgary bid. But I don't get to vote so it doesn't matter.

 

[pchewn]

I remember the vote in Denver against the 1976 Olympics. It would have been the bicentennial for the USA and the centennial for Colorado. But the voters declined. I was too young to vote on that one.

 

[NZRob]

The cities remaining in the process are:

• Erzurum, Turkey
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
• Calgary, Canada

Seems like the US is considering a 2030 bid, which SLC might be a candidate for.

The wikipedia article makes interesting reading. 800m vert required for the DH course, that counts out a lot of places. It also mentions NZ considered a bid...HAHAHAHA

 

[Eleeski]

Reno?

 

[hbear]

Calgary’s bid would need to include some sort of joint hosting with Vancouver. The use of old facilities is Calgary is not genuine as most all the facilities will need to be rebuilt/renovated to be updated to what the games need. In addition an entirely new stadium would need to be built for Hockey (which the local NHL ownership has been pushing for so they don’t have to foot the full bill).

In addition an internal document was leaked that showed the actual cost significantly higher than what they published publicly.

 

[Andy Mink]

I can't imagine any city wanting it. The infrastructure alone, even if the Olympics were held there before, are astronomical. Any older venues would need to be updated. Then you have traffic, lodging, and just getting there. Reno/Tahoe keeps talking about it but it ain't 1960 any more! The airport would have difficulty getting that many people in and out, plus traffic to any of the ski areas would be brutal, even with shuttles. Heck, it's bad enough on a nice day trying to get to Squalpine or Northstar. South Shore (Heavenly) is packed on a weekday.

 

[Andy Mink]

Reno?

Always a possibility. We have Peavine Mountain!

 

[Pdub]

The Winter Olympic should rotate between 2 or 3 permanent venues that the entire world helps to fund. The current system is so insane: full of graft and waste, environmentally unfriendly, economically stressful on host cities, etc... Equally insane is the choice of recent venues with borderline cold weather and the real risk of cancelling alpine events.

I'd propose one in North America (e.g. Calgary), one in Europe, and one in Asia (Japan?).
Only places that are North and high.
Will never happen.

 

[Philpug]

The Winter Olympic should rotate between 2 or 3 permanent venues that the entire world helps to fund. The current system is so insane: full of graft and waste, environmentally unfriendly, economically stressful on host cities, etc... Equally insane is the choice of recent venues with borderline cold weather and the real risk of cancelling alpine events.

I'd propose one in North America (e.g. Calgary), one in Europe, and one in Asia (Japan?).
Only places that are North and high.
Will never happen.

Summer too. For North America...Calgary or Salt Lake City make sense.

 

[Jim McDonald]

"The use of old facilities is Calgary is not genuine as most all the facilities will need to be rebuilt/renovated to be updated to what the games need hypocritical scumbag IOC demands."

FIFY

 

[Mike Rogers]

Regarding Calgary, it is really only the Ski Jump events that would need to be held in Vancouver. The ski jumps at COP are outdated, and they were never in a good location anyway.....subject to VERY strong cross winds.

I think most people assume that a new hockey arena would be built if the bid is accepted. This isn't in the plans though, and offcially, the Saddledome is good enough. I just can't imagine hosting the games and ignoring the Flames constant ask for help with a new arena.

If things go through, I think the city will get it's long needed replacements for McMahon (football stadium) and the Saddledome (hockey arena). It will likely cost at least as much as Vancouver when all is said and done.

Ski races at Nakiska though.. kind a of a bummer. They'll have to extend to the ridge-line again (windy) and the course wasn't that exciting.

Lake Louise is beautiful and the scenery would help with winter tourism. No go with Parks, but I don't think we need much permanent infrastructure.

 

[hbear]

I thought the oval and bobsled track needed some significant updating as well? Isn’t that the reason why they don’t host World Cup events anymore?

 

[Cheizz]

Well, my vote definately goes to the Milan-Cortina bid. For alpine skiing & snowboarding, freestyle skiing & snowboarding, xross-country and biathlon, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton, everything is already in place in the Cortina region (worldcup standard venues). They would have to build a new ski jumping stadium, though.
In Milan, all the indoor stadium competitions could be held. Ice hocky, speed skating (both short track and long track), figure skating... Moreover, it's closeby. I might sign up for a volunteering job... Would be amazing.

 

[hbear]

Maybe a bit old news but didn’t Japan budget something like $7-8billion for their next games and that has ballooned to about $25 billion in cost?

Scary stuff...

 

[Cheizz]

Just read this week that Peong Chang gained about 48 million euro from their Olympics.

Even if the Tokyo games will cost $ 25 billion, I don't think it would surpass the Sochi games. Would it?