Winter Olympic Games 2026 Bid Process

[OlympicsFan 858]

2 hours ago, thiago_simoes said:

Boring. Only 20 years after Turin. Anyway, I don't care about Winter Olympics anyway, and this is not going to change my mind either, so...

I feel the same. I can't really blame the IOC (since there were only 2 candidates), but i think it is weird that a country like Italy will host the winter olympics 2 times in such a short time. I would have preferred to see winter olympics in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria or Sweden. Winter olympics in Chile, New Zealand or Poland also would have been interesting, but i guess those nations would never consider hosting winter olympics.

[phelps 7,670]

13 minutes ago, ofan said:

 

A few things:

 

First, additions to the Olympic schedule have not come from the desires of North American TV networks, but rather the IOCs desire to cater to a younger generation of both athletes and viewers. Furthermore, the IOC has made a handful of additions to the Winter Olympics programs in other sports like biathlon, alpine skiing and sliding sports (the supposed sports Italy dominates non-European nations in) over the last few years. If Canada and the United States have benefited from the sports that are growing in popularity in modern times, at the expense of traditional sports, hats off to them for evolving with the times. 

 

Second, Canada may have been aided by some new additions to the program, but much of its success has come from the millions in government funding as a part of the Own the Podium program designed to bring Canada success in its home Olympics in 2010 and beyond. I'm sure the Italian government will put in place a similar program for 2026 to try and prove me wrong about them not being a powerhouse (  )

 

Third, I'm not sure if I'm reading correctly, but to suggest that snowboarding and freestyle skiing are not sports is ridiculous. 

 

My point is this: Italy has a very strong winter sports tradition. But, it is unfair to me for them to host multiple games in a 20 year span, when nations like Norway, Sweden or Germany, with a much deeper winter sports tradition and a much stronger medal performance at the Olympics, have not hosted once. However, that is the way things go when other nations don't have the public support levels in place to sustain an Olympic bid. 

 

To conclude, Italy had a great, technically-sound bid, and congratulations to all Italians. I never said the venues will not be iconic - Milan-Cortina will be a beautiful setting for the Winter Olympics, and I agree it will be the first "traditional" Olympic set up since 1994, as well as a great opportunity to potentially "save" the Winter Olympic games from the downward trajectory that they are heading in. However, I still stand by my belief that I would have liked to have seen the Games spread around to other nations before Italy got another shot. 

 

3 things...

 

1) yes, all the "artistic" snowboard and freestyle disciplines (not all those sports, just those disciplines) to me are NON-SPORTS (like artistic swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and similar events in the Summer Olympics schedule)...

and yes, they've been put in the schedule only because NBC and CBC "ordered" the IOC to do it (to catch the younger audience, but it's not an IOC's policy...it all came from the North American TV Networks, who need to increase their audience to make more money)...

and in comparison to all this kind of events, the addition of 1 or 2 more races in the "old" snow sports are really a little thing...

 

2) about Norway, Germany not hosting the Games...it's not my fault if their people democaratically voted to avoid bidding...

meanwhile this (I underline, this) Swedish bid was so poor that it would have been more a problem for the future of Winter Games than a resource if it would have won...

maybe next time they would make it better and finally they would get a chance to host the Games...

 

3) about funding...no way Italy's gonna do anything like the other Countries (Torino 2006 docet)...

it will be only a question of finding some occasional talent as always...

here it's only about soccer, Ferrari and Valentino Rossi...anything else is just a really "minor thing" that's not worth the interest of the majority of the people (and of the politicians), especially if we talk about Winter Sports,which are dedicated to and followed by only a small (very small) part of the Country...

just to make an example...tv rating of the women's soccer world cup (our National team): 30%, average tv rating of any sport not being soccer/Ferrari/Valentino Rossi: between 1% and 3% (the Olympic Games are just an exception, but there's no chance they get even close to the soccer ratings)...

Edited June 24, 2019 by phelps

[Federer91 2,793]

6 minutes ago, ofan said:

 

Read my post below. Italy is a very strong winter sport nation, but I would define a powerhouse as a country that can win or at least finish in the top 5-6 of the medal table consistently.

 

However, my post has been taken out of context - I simply don't find Italy's winter Olympic performance strong enough to justify 2 Games in a 20 year span. 

 

Not their fault that the people of Switzerland, Norway or Austria don't want to host the WOG. Or that the stupid IOC chose freaking South Korea over Germany. Russia / US / Canada have hosted in the same period as Italy, although i'm sure Vladimir can host every 4 years if they'd let him. Not much powerhouses left i reckon. 

 

Sweden just had a poor bid, with not much political support and not to mention proposing a second place in Sigulda, in Latvia, for the sled sports, which for me is unacceptable.   

[ofan 238]

5 minutes ago, phelps said:

 

3 things...

 

1) yes, all the "artistic" snowboard and freestyle disciplines (not all those sports, just those disciplines) to me are NON-SPORTS (like artistic swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and similar events in the Summer Olympics schedule)...

and yes, they've been put in the schedule only because NBC and CBC "ordered" the IOC to do it (to catch the younger audience, but it's not an IOC's policy...it all came from the North American TV Networks, who need to increase their audience to make more money)...

and in comparison to all this kind of events, the addition of 1 or 2 more races in the "old" snow sports are really a little thing...

 

2) about Norway, Germany not hosting the Games...it's not my fault if their people democaratically voted to avoid bidding...

meanwhile this (I underline, this) Swedish bid was so poor that it would have been more a problem for the future of Winter Games than a resource if it would have won...

maybe next time they would make it better and finally they would get a chance to host the Games...

 

3) about funding...no way Italy's gonna do anything like the other Countries (Torino 2006 docet)...

it will be only a question of finding some occasional talent as always...

here it's only about soccer, Ferrari and Valentino Rossi...anything else is just a really "minor thing" that's not worth the interest of the majority of the people (and of the politicians), especially if we talk about Winter Sports,which are dedicated to and followed by only a small (very small) part of the Country...

just to make an example...tv rating of the women's soccer world cup (our National team): 30%, average tv rating of any sport not being soccer/Ferrari/Valentino Rossi: between 1% and 3% (the Olympic Games are just an exception, but there's no chance they get even close to the soccer ratings)...

 

1) It's really a waste of time in  having a substantive debate with you if that's what you believe. To equate freestyle skiing and snowboarding with artistic swimming and rhythmic gymnastics shows that you truly have zero understanding of these sports and the athletic prowess that they require. 

 

As for the television network argument, the CBC has no power. The only television network with any sway is NBC, and while they surely encouraged the addition of new events in snowboarding and freestyle skiing, the IOC also has made engaging a youthful audience a priority (https://www.olympic.org/news/2020-vision-looking-ahead-to-lausanne-2020-engaging-young-people). Furthermore, the addition of new events in traditional sports has also benefited European nations with the chance for more medals in the same way additions in other sports have benefited the US and Canada. 

 

2) This reiterates what I was saying. It's not your fault these other nations aren't engaged - it's due to the failures of the IOC to foster a sustainable Winter Olympic Games concept through their thirst for greed in staging the grossly expensive 2014 Olympics, which have turned off many democratic populaces from wanting to host. I was simply stating that in an ideal world, other nations would fall in line before Italy for hosting (this does not take away from the fact that I'm sure Italy will host an incredible Olympics in 2026)

 

3) This doesn't exactly help your argument - I remember that attendance was a major issue at the Torino Olympics. If Italian engagement in winter sports is low, it only furthers my argument that they aren't deserving of a second Winter Olympics in 20 years. 

[Monzanator 4,499]

20 minutes ago, OlympicsFan said:

I feel the same. I can't really blame the IOC (since there were only 2 candidates), but i think it is weird that a country like Italy will host the winter olympics 2 times in such a short time. I would have preferred to see winter olympics in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria or Sweden. Winter olympics in Chile, New Zealand or Poland also would have been interesting, but i guess those nations would never consider hosting winter olympics.

 

It all comes down to funding, hosting OG basically makes you spend money and you're actually in debt by the time it's all history. Italy have a huge national debt last time I checked so they don't really care about that, they just go with the flow

 

There was an official Zakopane bid for 2006 and then Krakow/Poprad in Slovakia for 2022 was a late withdrawal. The biggest issue in Poland is there's like one road connecting Krakow & Zakopane and the 50km drive is notoriously jammed all year long here. The entire world would get stuck in Krakow if it came to hosting the Olympics here 

[ofan 238]

Also, ironically it was announced today that the San Siro will be demolished. I don't know if it this will be before or after 2026

[ofan 238]

Also remember that Stockholm pulled out of their bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and there was much opposition to their 2004 bid for the Summer Games. I wonder if there is still some resentment against Sweden within the IOC

[phelps 7,670]

10 minutes ago, ofan said:

 

1) It's really a waste of time in  having a substantive debate with you if that's what you believe. To equate freestyle skiing and snowboarding with artistic swimming and rhythmic gymnastics shows that you truly have zero understanding of these sports and the athletic prowess that they require. 

 

As for the television network argument, the CBC has no power. The only television network with any sway is NBC, and while they surely encouraged the addition of new events in snowboarding and freestyle skiing, the IOC also has made engaging a youthful audience a priority (https://www.olympic.org/news/2020-vision-looking-ahead-to-lausanne-2020-engaging-young-people). Furthermore, the addition of new events in traditional sports has also benefited European nations with the chance for more medals in the same way additions in other sports have benefited the US and Canada. 

 

2) This reiterates what I was saying. It's not your fault these other nations aren't engaged - it's due to the failures of the IOC to foster a sustainable Winter Olympic Games concept through their thirst for greed in staging the grossly expensive 2014 Olympics, which have turned off many democratic populaces from wanting to host. I was simply stating that in an ideal world, other nations would fall in line before Italy for hosting (this does not take away from the fact that I'm sure Italy will host an incredible Olympics in 2026)

 

3) This doesn't exactly help your argument - I remember that attendance was a major issue at the Torino Olympics. If Italian engagement in winter sports is low, it only furthers my argument that they aren't deserving of a second Winter Olympics in 20 years. 

 

1) why? do you think that artistic swimming and rhythmic gymnastics specialists don't need to train and don't have athletic skills equal or superior to those of many other disciplines' specialists?

I consider all those disciplines NON-SPORT activities because the final outcome is entirely determined by the personal opinion of some biased when not fully corrupted socalled "judges", with no place for real man-to-man confrontation...

IOC's motto: altius, citius, fortius...those disciplines don't require athletes to be better in any of those objective criteria..it's just politics and personal taste...

I perfectly know that all those guys work day after day for hours...but their performance to me it remains a show (like going to the theatre...being their show on ice, on snow, in the water or whatever they play their game) rather than a sport competition...

 

3) because Torino and the entire region of Piedmont is NOT a Winter Sport cradle (by the way, all figure skating, short track and most of the speedskating and men's ice hockey events in Turin were soldout or close to that) and moreover they chose the wrong places for the mountain competitions (where the major attendance issues were recorded)...

the worst mistake of them all was the choice of the sliding sports track location...and they even made a capital mistake in its orientation (it was completely exposed to the sun for most of the day, making almost impossible to use it from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for official competitions and professional training)...

all things that won't happen in 2026 (Milan is the cradle of the Italian Ice Hockey and Figure Skating -look at how successful were the Figure Skating world champs hosted in the same arena that will host the 2026 Games just last year, despite coming only 2 months after the Olympics, and there's no need to mention the tradition all the snow sport venues carry with them)...

[phelps 7,670]

13 minutes ago, ofan said:

Also, ironically it was announced today that the San Siro will be demolished. I don't know if it this will be before or after 2026

 

it will happen after the 2026 Games (if it's ever gonna happen)...

Edited June 24, 2019 by phelps

[ofan 238]

1 minute ago, phelps said:

 

1) why? do you think that artistic swimming and rhythmic gymnastics specialists don't need to train and don't have athletic skills equal or superior to those of many other disciplines' specialists?

I consider all those disciplines NON-SPORT activities because the final outcome is entirely determined by the personal opinion of some biased when not fully corrupted socalled "judges", with no place for real man-to-man confrontation...

IOC's motto: altius, citius, fortius...those disciplines don't require athletes to be better in any of those objective criteria..it's just politics and personal taste...

I perfectly know that all those guys work day after day for hours...but their performance to me it remains a show (like going to the theatre...being their show on ice, on snow, in the water or whatever they play their game) rather than a sport competition...

 

3) because Torino and the entire region of Piedmont is NOT a Winter Sport cradle (by the way, all figure skating, short track and most of the speedskating and men's ice hockey events in Turin were soldout or close to that) and moreover they chose the wrong places for the mountain competitions (where the major attendance issues were recorded)...

the worst mistake of them all was the choice of the sliding sports track location...and they even made a capital mistake in its orientation (it was completely exposed to the sun for most of the day, making almost impossible to use it from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for official competitions and professional training)...

all things that won't happen in 2026 (Milan is the cradle of the Italian Ice Hockey and Figure Skating -look at how successful were the Figure Skating world champs hosted in the same arena that will host the 2026 Games just last year, despite coming only 2 months after the Olympics, and there's no need to mention the tradition all the snow sport venues carry with them)...

 

1) I agree that judged sports are frustrating and that politics and personal taste do very much come into play. I will, however, say that this is not as much the case with freestyle skiing and snowboarding - they have not been exposed to the corruption that other judged sports like figure skating and artistic swimming have. The medals Canada earns in these sports shouldn't be worth any less than the medals Italy earns in alpine skiing and short track, in my opinion. Our victories aren't "tainted" like the victories of nations in other judged sports (*cough* Russia *cough*). I think that calling it not a sport devalues the work that the athletes put in - it still takes a great deal of skill and performing well on competition day, as do other sports.

 

3) Well, that sounds great then. All of our debate has been based on speculation and "what could have been". Now that the Games are officially in Milan and there is nothing that can change that, I look forward to watching their preparations and enjoying what should be a tremendous event, as well as continuing to debate these fun (and sometimes controversial topics) with you and other members in the lead up to 2026