Posted on 10/02/2014 7:50:28 AM PDT by Scoutmaster
OSLO, Norway -- Oslo said it has dropped its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics after the Norwegian government declined Wednesday to provide financial backing, a move which leaves just two cities in a race that has been decimated by withdrawals.
After Oslo's withdrawal, Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan are the only two cities left vying to host the 2022 Games.
Members of the ruling Conservative party members voted against giving financial guarantees to the bid amid concerns the games would be too costly. The junior partner in the minority coalition voted against the bid four months ago, and polls have shown more than 50 percent of the public were opposed to the bid.
The city of Oslo said it withdrew its application for government financial backing because it likely would not be approved by Parliament.
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(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Nagano was fairly sensible (once they got past the huge outlay of bribing the IOC) in 1998 as was Salt Lake City in 2002. Both, however, were mid-sized cities located near world class ski resorts. Accordingly, building costs were kept at a minimum because so many existing venues were available.
Existing venues do not make for great party show cases, but they do keep the locals from taking a major financial bath once the party is over.
Will it start with "The Running of the Jew"?
They should just have them in Switzerland on a permanent basis.
The Olympic Committee has over-played its hand. By requiring such an expensive commitment, it now has only two proposals from hosts neither of which is a democracy.
Almaty, Kazakhstan? Uhmmmm. ..WTF?
So it’s left to Beijing as the obvious winner.
why didn’t USA throw it’s heft behind a bid?
Any bets on Vail Resorts trying to scoop it up for Denver?
Have them in Liberia.
Colorado has stunning mountain scenery. But its expensive to build facilities in the ski resort towns for what is basically a two week shindig for wealthy professional athletes.
It could be done... if the taxpayers in my state would be prepared to pick up the tab.
I don’t think the Winter Olympics, as its now structured, is financially sustainable.
The host country should get their military to make a tent city ,military food included ,it would save Billions
“I think only dictatorships or countries with self-esteem problems, like Brazil, are going to host the Olympics in the future. The costs for hosting what is basically a two week party is too much.”
Both Summer and Winter Olympics have become so politicized that they are totally unrecognizable from what they were originally envisioned to be. Just like “major league sports” here in the US. I don’t waste my time on any of it any longer, it’s all so contrived and scripted by the media to accommodate their advertising.
Just checked the map. If Kazakhastan falters, it's close enough to Sochi to use those venues. It's a better idea than Beijing.
Between building new stadiums, building or renovating infrastructure and bribing Olympic officials, it’s a lot of money. Let Beijing host it - they just had one so the facilities are there, and they put on a good opening show.
Lake Tahoe/Reno
It is the same reason you won't see a Zurich or Davos bid on a Winter Olympics. From what I understand from ski nuts, the Salt Lake City area is every bit as good as the Denver area in terms of snow quality and ski facility quality. The main difference is that Park City appeals more to a middle/upper middle class clientele whereas Vail appeals to the filthy rich.
By that time, it will be the Russian or Soviet winter Olympics.
You are talking either massive new building in fully developed areas or foregoing $600 to $900 AVERAGE per night in hotel room costs from a rich clientele during the peak of the ski season.
And for what . . . a 3 week party to make an already famous area even more famous?
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Agreed.
More like rotate them among a small group of sites. A couple in Europe, one in the US, one in Canada, and one or two in Asia. Same with the summer games. Have one or two sites on each continent and just rotate among them.
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