The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will consider allocating hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympic Games at the same time, amid concerns over climate change and a dwindling pool of potential host countries.
A double allocation could take place at next year’s IOC Session, should the “appropriate conditions” exist. The proposal was presented to the IOC Executive Board on Friday by Karl Stoss, chair of the IOC’s Future Host Commission for the Winter Olympics.
The IOC said that the proposal, which has been supported by presidents of all seven Winter Olympic international federations, will allow more time to address challenges made clear by the preliminary findings of a report looking at the impact of climate change. The report reveals a reduction in the pool of potential hosts by 2040, and a further reduction by the middle of the century.
According to the IOC, this will require deliberations on a potential rotation, the composition of the sports programme, the different needs for sports on ice and snow, and many other elements.
The preliminary results show that there are currently 15 national Olympic committees on three continents that have at least 80% of the venues needed, while 10 out of the 15 have either recently hosted the Games or are interested in hosting in the future.
By 2040, two of these 15 will no longer have the necessary reliability to host the Winter Olympics in February and five will not have the reliability to stage the Winter Paralympics in March. This would potentially reduce the pool of hosts to around 10.
Discussions are also taking place regarding a sustainable economic model for the Winter Olympics after a separate study found that the costs of organising sports events at the Games are “substantially higher” than the combined costs of equivalent World Championships.
Stoss said: “Whilst we look forward to celebrating 100 years of the Olympic Winter Games next February, there is no doubt that we are facing great challenges, and our goal is to ensure we can continue to hold successful Games in the future.
“A double allocation would bring security for the Olympic Movement in solid traditional winter sport and climate-reliable hosts until 2034, while allowing the IOC time to reflect on the long-term future of the Winter Games.”
The most recent Winter Olympics took place in Beijing in 2022. The 2026 Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
France, Switzerland and Sweden are currently finalising feasibility studies for a potential bid for the 2030 Games. Salt Lake City in the US has expressed a preference for the 2034 Games but would be available, if needed, for 2030. Last week saw the Japanese city of Sapporo drop its bid to host in 2030.
The Future Host Commission is conducting its own feasibility study on each interested party, and this will be discussed during a meeting next month. Should the Commission feel that it is in a position to do so, it will recommend the opening of a targeted dialogue to the IOC executive board at its meeting in November, with a view to an IOC Session election in 2024.
In other news, Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, has announced that sliding events at the Games will be held outside of Italy after plans to build the Cortina Sliding Centre were scrapped.
Malagò said that the project has not attracted much interest from potential construction partners, and he also cited recent global financial problems as a reason for scrapping the plans. The cost of the project has doubled to €80m (£69m/$84m).
The Italian government has informed Games organisers that it considers the best and most sustainable location for sliding events to be outside of Italy at a venue that is already in operation.
Organisers are working with the IOC and international federations to analyse the alternatives. It has been reported that the Austrian city of Innsbruck, which hosted the Games in 1964 and 1976, could be called upon.
