A bid to host the 2026 Olympics in Calgary is expected to fail due to lack of support and information at the City Council level reports GamesBids.com.
Related: 2022 Winter Olympics To Be Held On Mountains Where It Doesn’t Snow
The mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi says that the lengthened bidding process will keep current council members from approving the bid because they can’t view bids from other cities until next year. In addition to the absurd amount of lead time required for a city to bid, council members worry that bringing the olympics could bankrupt their city, especially considering the $51 Billion it took Sochi to host the games back in 2014.
Why I think Calgary Olympic bid is a no-brainer. #yyc gets a new arena, we keep the #calgaryflames and we break even https://t.co/5KpWLavPJ4
— Licia Corbella (@LiciaCorbella) June 20, 2017
Still, the IOC is encouraging cities to take a new tact when it comes to hosting the games: reuse existing structures and forget about the glitz, glam, and brand new looks that have come to define olympic venues in the past two decades.
“My sense is council may just say no, but if they’re intrigued or interested in going further, it’s really a matter of waiting until after PyeongChang.” – Calgary Mayor, Naheed Nenshi
For Calgary that mission would be easier than others seeing as they hosted the games back in 1988 and are a hub for winter sports athletes of all kinds. The city council will ultimately have a little over a year to approve or disapprove the bid before the invitation period ends in September of 2018.
Find the entire GamesBids.com article here: Mayor Believes City Council Won’t Approve Calgary 2026 Olympic Bid Monday
