WinGames

Lausanne hasn't any real VENUES! How can they bid? The best place is Lake Placid, NY.

Hosting Olympic winter sports requires a few things, many of which money can buy (venues, equipment, etc.). But one thing that cannot be bought is weather. Cold weather. And Snow. The average night temperature at Krasnaya Polyana where the Olympic Sliding Center is located is about 21-25 degrees. That is JUST at the end of the temperature zone to hold a refrigerated track. I think it was enormously short-sighted for the IOC to accept that. This year--right now in Feb 2013--the Bobsled and Skeleton World Cup is at the Sanki center. It is over 40 degrees every NIGHT, warmer during the day. Yes, you can say that this is just a warm year, but I don't think so. I think this site was ill-chosen and I believe the IOC either did not consult the International Governing Bodies (in this case, the FIBT) or simply overlooked this tiny detail. It is critical that the IOC pay attention to these environmental issues. The Olympic Games are not a big party--they are important competitions! Logic demands that the metrics for good competitive features should be FIRST!

Though there is a faction of non-supporters in the Graubunded Kanton, the National goverment vote on 3 March may go in favor of the 2022 bid. I suspect there are some instigators in Graubunded behind the resistance--some may be planted by competing bidders in Europe. However, the strength of the bid is it's theme--return to the mountains--which is attractive. It may be time for a good old, European, Alps-based Olympic winter experience.