The Norwegian Capital City has announced that it will pull out of the bidding process for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The decision was reached following dwindling public support to host the games. It is a significant moment for the IOC as some question the exact benefits of The Games.
The news that Norway has dropped its bid is of no great surprise. Many people are now questioning the benefits of hosting the Olympic games. There are now real worries for the IOC that major European cities are losing interest in the Olympics and especially the Winter Games. Barcelona, Munich and Davos/St Moritz all pulled out in the early stages of the bidding after they failed to gain public support. Then Krakow and Stockholm also withdrew as local people simply did not want the expense and disruption.
“This is a missed opportunity for the City of Oslo and for all the people of Norway who are known worldwide for being huge fans of winter sports. And it is mostly a missed opportunity for the outstanding Norwegian athletes who will not be able to reach new Olympic heights in their home country,” said the International Olympic Committee’s executive director of the Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi.
There are now just two cities still in the running to host the 2022 Winter Olympic games, Almaty in Kazakhstan and Beijing in China. If Beijing wins it will be the first time in history that a city has hosted both the summer and winter Olympic Games.
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