11 replies to this topic

[sredetsfan]

I was reading the 2022 olympic games page on wikipedia, and I saw that Romania will try to bid for 2022 in the Prahova Valley. So i got to wondering. In the balkans who can host an olympics. Here is my list, of the ones I would like to see someday (btw balkans, here will include all the former yugoslav nations, greece, and romania as well):

1 Sofia, (im bulgarian so i gatta represent !)- it tried for 1992, 1994, 2014
2 Zagreb. I really want to see the croations do a bid. I think Zagreb is an awesome city as had a bunch to offer and its a big city.
3 Ljubljana. beautiful city, kinda small though. Maribor is hosting the witner universade soon.

Ok here it gets interesting:

4 Thesseloniki. A bit farfetched, but somewhat possible. The Rhodopi Mountains are close and I know there is a ski resort near Drama, and Florina. I think Greece holding a winter Olympiad will be great.

5 Brashov. (Not Bucharest). I love Brashov. Its probably my favorite city in romania. And in 50+ years can really do something Olympics-wise.

6. This will never happen! But. Northern Albania’s Dinaric Alps are some of the most beautiful mountains. Very untouched. The biggest city is Schroder, but it’s still small. (But does have a nice fortress on a hill, ).

7. Then there is Sarajevo. It will be nice to see it host again, but maybe in 60+ years.

So what do you guys think?...

[Lord David]

sredetsfan, on Apr 16 2009, 12:35 PM, said:

I was reading the 2022 olympic games page on wikipedia, and I saw that Romania will try to bid for 2022 in the Prahova Valley. So i got to wondering. In the balkans who can host an olympics. Here is my list, of the ones I would like to see someday (btw balkans, here will include all the former yugoslav nations, greece, and romania as well):

1 Sofia, (im bulgarian so i gatta represent !)- it tried for 1992, 1994, 2014
2 Zagreb. I really want to see the croations do a bid. I think Zagreb is an awesome city as had a bunch to offer and its a big city.
3 Ljubljana. beautiful city, kinda small though. Maribor is hosting the witner universade soon.

Ok here it gets interesting:

4 Thesseloniki. A bit farfetched, but somewhat possible. The Rhodopi Mountains are close and I know there is a ski resort near Drama, and Florina. I think Greece holding a winter Olympiad will be great.

5 Brashov. (Not Bucharest). I love Brashov. Its probably my favorite city in romania. And in 50+ years can really do something Olympics-wise.

6. This will never happen! But. Northern Albania’s Dinaric Alps are some of the most beautiful mountains. Very untouched. The biggest city is Schroder, but it’s still small. (But does have a nice fortress on a hill, ).

7. Then there is Sarajevo. It will be nice to see it host again, but maybe in 60+ years.

So what do you guys think?...

1. Perhaps, but Sofia really needs to show the IOC something big, if it even wants a chance at the shortlist.
2. Are there any significant mountains near the city?
3. Small? But it's a capital, it could host, though the infrastructure in Maribor, would be more of a boost should that city bid.
4. Nah, mountains and ski resorts nearby, yes. Though not significant enough, I can easily expect the city to bid for a Summer Games in several Olympics time.
5. Uh, I dunno much of the city, so I can't say.
6. And what about that other city? What was it? Lucy?
7. Sarajevo could host again in a couple of Winter Olympics time, where infrastructure would have been mostly reconstructed and upgraded. More Championships and World Cups are necessary to prove experience and readiness, Medals won at the Winter Olympics would be a boost. I'd like to see Sarajevo host again and fulfill it's comment at the end of the 1984 games, where they expected the whole world to come back when Sarajevo hosts a 2nd time.

[baron-pierreIV]

sredetsfan, on Apr 16 2009, 02:35 AM, said:

I was reading the 2022 olympic games page on wikipedia, and I saw that Romania will try to bid for 2022 in the Prahova Valley. So i got to wondering. In the balkans who can host an olympics. Here is my list, of the ones I would like to see someday (btw balkans, here will include all the former yugoslav nations, greece, and romania as well):

1 Sofia, (im bulgarian so i gatta represent !)- it tried for 1992, 1994, 2014
2 Zagreb. I really want to see the croations do a bid. I think Zagreb is an awesome city as had a bunch to offer and its a big city.
3 Ljubljana. beautiful city, kinda small though. Maribor is hosting the witner universade soon.

Ok here it gets interesting:

4 Thesseloniki. A bit farfetched, but somewhat possible. The Rhodopi Mountains are close and I know there is a ski resort near Drama, and Florina. I think Greece holding a winter Olympiad will be great.

5 Brashov. (Not Bucharest). I love Brashov. Its probably my favorite city in romania. And in 50+ years can really do something Olympics-wise.

6. This will never happen! But. Northern Albania’s Dinaric Alps are some of the most beautiful mountains. Very untouched. The biggest city is Schroder, but it’s still small. (But does have a nice fortress on a hill, ).

7. Then there is Sarajevo. It will be nice to see it host again, but maybe in 60+ years.

So what do you guys think?...

Welcome sredets. The big issue here is:

1. I think with Sochi hosting 2014 (and Sarajevo in 1984), that'll take care of the so-called Eastern European/Balkan areas for probably the next 20 years.

2. 2018 will probably be between PyongChang and Munich.

But whichever Balkan city it will be;

(1) is there the 800m drop mountain for the, I think, grand slalom events?

(2) the urban area and the slopes will have to be within an hour of each other; and

(3) is the host country fairly large enough (I'd say maybe in the 8 million population range for a prospective Winter host country) to support a 21st century WOGs?

So, certainly there is enough time for a serious Balkan candidate to shoot for 2026 onwards. (Predictions: 2018 - PyongChang; 2022 - USA; 2026 - wide open...)

[faster]

Baron - its becoming more and more unlikely Korea will win a bid, it has unsuccessfully hosted 3 world championships and numerous world cups over the past 2 years and the federations are no longer behind them.

The infrastructure is not long in any of the Balkan countries to host a Winter Olympics. Slovenia is the closest (but don't tell a Slovene that they are Balkan).

Croatia does not have the mountains to host.

[sredetsfan]

Faster, on Apr 16 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

Baron - its becoming more and more unlikely Korea will win a bid, it has unsuccessfully hosted 3 world championships and numerous world cups over the past 2 years and the federations are no longer behind them.

The infrastructure is not long in any of the Balkan countries to host a Winter Olympics. Slovenia is the closest (but don't tell a Slovene that they are Balkan).

Croatia does not have the mountains to host.

yeah, i know about slovanians - i met this girl who had an out of the blue rant about how Slovania is different form Slovakia, even though no one said anything at all about that. ! The small country complex - i know im Bulgarian. . lol. But back to the point, it is sorta geographically Balkan, not culturally however, its much more Centra European in spirt. but so is croatia. A legacy of Austia-Hungary.

Speaking of Croatia, didnt it host the FIS World cup Salmon races in 05 and 06, near Zagreb? I took a look at it from google earth, it has a mountain right next to Zagreb, but might not have enough of a vertical drop for the downhill events? I dont know though....

[sredetsfan]

baron-pierreIV, on Apr 16 2009, 04:04 PM, said:

Welcome sredets. The big issue here is:

1. I think with Sochi hosting 2014 (and Sarajevo in 1984), that'll take care of the so-called Eastern European/Balkan areas for probably the next 20 years.

2. 2018 will probably be between PyongChang and Munich.

But whichever Balkan city it will be;

(1) is there the 800m drop mountain for the, I think, grand slalom events?

(2) the urban area and the slopes will have to be within an hour of each other; and

(3) is the host country fairly large enough (I'd say maybe in the 8 million population range for a prospective Winter host country) to support a 21st century WOGs?

So, certainly there is enough time for a serious Balkan candidate to shoot for 2026 onwards. (Predictions: 2018 - PyongChang; 2022 - USA; 2026 - wide open...)

Yeah i know about Munich- its my worst nightmare! lol. It will host a great games but like you point out, Sofia will then have to 100% wait till 2030+ to bid. lol.

so... go PyongChang!

But to get to a general feeling that i have about the WO, i would like to see them be in more diverse locations. The SO, these days can only be hosted by Global Cities, wich i love but gets boring, fast. The winter games can take you to the just as great, but not as famous Torino's (vs. Milan/Rome), Sochis (vs. Moscows/St. Peterburgs) even Vancouvers (vs. Torontos/Montreals)!

[jim jones]

the 2020's sometime may be possible for a return to the Balkins. The Rotation for the winter games of course is confined to a much short list of places . Basically three continents North America , Europe and Asia. Asia for 2018 seems likely . I think it could possibly be Harbin ,China and not South Korea . The Lack of spectators for recent World Championships as mentioned does nothing for South Korea's Case. China now on the heals of the highest tv ratings summer olympics could pull of what Japan did in the 1960's . Tokyo 1964 followed by Sapporo 1972. Beijing 2008 followed by Harbin 2018 is very possible. Harbin's very successful staging of the winter universiade certainly helps a great deal.

As to Munich 2018 well they certainly don't have an North American Candidate to compete against but Could Munich become the first city to stage both summer and winter games? Sure . Even a two horse race between Munich and Harbin will be very interesting .

jim jones

[sredetsfan]

So, if the chances are high for an Asia Winter Olympiad in 2018, does anyone know if Japan is planning to bid in 2018, if Tokyo losses 2016, or will they opt out to try again for a Summer Olympics for 2020?

[ghost1]

News about Sofia's infrastructure projects:

New metro line to be launched in Sofia (with pictures)

Bulgaria Capital Sofia to Launch New Metro Line (with a map)

[sredetsfan]

I, know i'm very excited about that! I think it helps out Sofia's chances in that it takes away some of the traffic-related fears associated with a Sofia Bid. However it's still not enough.

Also i think that the 3rd diameter will be scrapped, in favor of a "fast tram"--- the dumbest thing i've ever heard but... who listens to me