gromit Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 By 2026, it will be 34years since France last held the Winter Olympics. Whilst all eyes are directed towards a potential Paris 2024 bid, what are the chances that France will irrespectively bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics as well? If 2022 goes to Europe, it is thought by many that North American would be a strong contender for 2026. But with the 250years celebration of the Declaration of Independence for the USA, and with potential 2026 World Cup bids from both Canada and the USA, would there be a taste to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics as well? As Turkey discovered, the IOC do not allow competing bids from other sporting events during Olympic years. This is before considering the physical issues that a bid from Quebec might overcome. With a French bid, there are 3 potential options: - the Rhone-Alpes region most recently represented by Annecy, and previously hosts of the games in 1924 (Chamonix), Grenoble (1968) and Albertville (1992) - the Pyrenees - Aquitaine and/or Midi Pyrenees - Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur Despite the fantastic existing infrastructure, Rhone-Alpes has a feeling of been there, done that and likely would have to present a comparatively spread out bid with a mix of new and updated existing facilities. Would this be the type of Olympics with an emphasis on legacy that the IOC would look to? The Pyrenees would present a new frontier (assuming Barcelona 2022 didn't occur) and potentially could offer two potential sites - a Pau-Tarbes-Lourdes bid akin to Lillehammer 1994 or a Toulouse bid using the alpine resorts around Foix approximately 100km to the south. A third option and my favourite would be Nice, in the Alpes-Maritime region. The mayor Christian Estrosi has continued to express interest in Nice bidding for the games using such resorts as Isola 2000, Auron, St Dalmas, and Valberg all within 100km to the North. Nice is the 5th largest city in France with a metro population in excess of 1million people. Within 32kms along the coast are Antibes and Cannes, each with indoor sports teams (basketball, volleyball, ice hockey) that could use any indoor areas built, and with the area also being a major conference venue, large venues such as speed skating rink could be designed to be multi-purpose. The new Allianz Riviera stadium built for Euro2016 can easily hold an opening ceremony. For accommodation, Nice is the 2nd most popular destination in France after Paris with the Cote D'Azur airport being the 3rd busiest after CDG and Orly. Nice also has a harbour capable of accommodating the cruise ships which ply the Med. The region is close enough to the mountain resorts to provide a Winter feel even if there isn't snow on the ground - though this shouldn't be ruled out. As for the Winter Sports, the following might be used Saint-Delmas - Nordic skiing with 50km of trails (98km N of Nice) Isola 2000 - 770m of vertical (94km N of Nice) Auron - 850m of vertical (94 km N of Nice) Valberg - 415m of vertical (83km N of Nice) Beuil - site of current 86m ski jump not in use (77km N of Nice) When France bids for the Winter Olympics again, who should they bid with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I'd like to see a 3 way Francophone bid race between Quebec, a French city and Swiss city (like St Moritz region, Lausanne, Geneva...) Only to be toppled by the likes of say Munich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 If France had the winter athletic strength of Germany, Norway, Canada, the US, or even Russia -- yes, it might be eligible for a 4th WOGs; but it doesn't. So at this point, I'd say it's rather remote for a 4th WOGs returning to France in at least the next 3 cycles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Nice would be, er, nice, although I can't get my head around *another* French OWG. Right now they're accumulating much in the way of "time credit" building toward a Paris Summer Games- and a Winter bid would inevitably put that off for another cycle at least (2040's I'd say) A Nice OWG would have a certain Sochi quality to it, seeing as Sochi as billed itself as the Nice/Monaco of far Eastern Europe. I'd still rather see a German, Spanish, Swiss or Norwegian OWG before France again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromit Posted May 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Nice would be, er, nice, although I can't get my head around *another* French OWG. Right now they're accumulating much in the way of "time credit" building toward a Paris Summer Games- and a Winter bid would inevitably put that off for another cycle at least (2040's I'd say) A Nice OWG would have a certain Sochi quality to it, seeing as Sochi as billed itself as the Nice/Monaco of far Eastern Europe. I'd still rather see a German, Spanish, Swiss or Norwegian OWG before France again. Unfortunately I can't think the Swiss can bid because of their political system If we have Paris 2024, the problem with 2026 is North America may prefer to compete to go for FIFA 2026 meaning 2026 becomes a showdown between Europe v Asia. .... depending on whether Munich or Oslo or Barcelona wins 2022 that rules out one of the three. If it is not Munich then France can claim that the Alps have not hosted the Olympics since Turin 2006. If not 2026 I can see a strong French bid for 2030 even if they host 2024. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissO Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 That is nice dreaming... but I suspect the French NOC will never bid again for WOG until they would have organized a Summer Games ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FYI Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 ^I would have to agree. Since post WWII, France is the only major European nation that hasn't hosted a Summer Olympics. I would think that the French would rather concentrate on that effort first. I think that the only reason the French NOC bothered with Annecy 2018 is bcuz Paris wasn't interested at the time in pursuing another summer bid. So they probably thought to themselves, "well, better another Winter Olympics than nothing at all". But now that some murmurs may be being stirred in the City of Lights again, I think that's whats going to be looked into first before yet another winter run & hosting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athensfan Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 That is nice dreaming... but I suspect the French NOC will never bid again for WOG until they would have organized a Summer Games ! I agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympiaki-agones Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 Or if Paris loses again if they want to bid for the 2024 race. So then it'll happen like in 1968 when Mexico City won over Lyon and Barcelona won over Paris in 1992. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 I think that Germany is in line to be the next European hosts of the Olympic Winter Games. They've only hosted once before (way back in 1936), they have a rich winter sports tradition, they have the money, infrastructure and organizational know-how, they had a strong bid with Munich 2018, and following two new Winter frontiers (Russia 2014 and Korea 2018), the IOC will likely be keen to go back to familiar territory. So a Munich (or German) win in 2022 does two things - eliminates Berlin for Summer 2024 contention and eliminates France for Winter 2026 contention. And for the French Olympic Committee, that makes the case for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris just a bit stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zekekelso Posted May 28, 2013 Report Share Posted May 28, 2013 No, not Nice. Monaco. (Note - put the events wherever you want.. but call it Monaco.) The IOC members would be all over that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 No, not Nice. Monaco. (Note - put the events wherever you want.. but call it Monaco.) The IOC members would be all over that. Not sure where the indoor venues would fit between the marinas, race track and hotels? I remember thinking as a child in 1993 (when my interest in the Olympics was as engaged as any *normal* person) that the IOC was based in Monte Carlo/Monaco after Sydney won the 2000 Olympics. I may have even thought this up until around 2005, when my interest to learn more about the process was stoked by the 2012 bidding race. (Oddly, I went through the era of the Sydney Olympics itself rather disinterested in the Olympic movement). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luffy Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I still think France is not bidding for 2024 or 2026 actually. I just feel politicians are interested but not the public and the crisis is going to hurt us deeply. But Monaco could be a good host, won't cost the french people much. It would be a nice compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Monaco? The country is half the size of Vancouver's Stanley Park. I don't see how they could host anything other than Olympic meetings and card games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofan Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 I feel as though based upon winter sport performance, France has hosted enough winter games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Monaco? The country is half the size of Vancouver's Stanley Park. I don't see how they could host anything other than Olympic meetings and card games. Well if Monaco finances it and hosts the ceremonies and one/two indoor sports and puts all the other venues in France it wouldn't cost France a thing. However that bid would be ridiculous like Andorra's was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromit Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 I feel as though based upon winter sport performance, France has hosted enough winter games. Except it cannot be based exclusively upon performances because there needs to be the physical geography to host the games which rules out strong Olympic nations like Finland and the Czech Republic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zekekelso Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Well if Monaco finances it and hosts the ceremonies and one/two indoor sports and puts all the other venues in France it wouldn't cost France a thing. However that bid would be ridiculous like Andorra's was. What Monaco has is extrondinary pull for IOC members. In the end, their votes are all that counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 If Andorra wants to mount another bid for the Olympics, it should realistically look at the 2030's. Have all events inside the country (forget France and Spain, only use them as support nations), even the ski jumps and sliding track. Being a tax haven, one could easily expect such a winter sports training facility easily utilized post Olympics. Have smaller sized venues similar to the 2010 bid, given the small population of Andorra. Have an assured transport plan. Have that elevated cable metro built (which was proposed in 2004) or even some sort of subway network (a very costly option), running through the path of the roads, linking the towns. The first option being most likely. Have nearby La Seu d'Urgell Airport upgraded for international flights, via an extended runway to at least 2km and an international terminal. Andorra won't get the games of course, but it needs to mount what looks like a credible bid. Why bid for 2010, when you don't aspire to host in the future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromit Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Bottom line is IF the USA and Canada bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Europe and Asia under current rules can't) then as per the IOC rules demonstrated with Istanbul/Euro2020, we might have back to back European Winter Olympics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Andorra? lol no chance whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofan Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Except it cannot be based exclusively upon performances because there needs to be the physical geography to host the games which rules out strong Olympic nations like Finland and the Czech Republic. Czech Republic and Finland are not strong winter olympic nations. There are more people in Sochi than all of Andorra. Andorra has no shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromit Posted May 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Czech Republic and Finland are not strong winter olympic nations. There are more people in Sochi than all of Andorra. Andorra has no shot. Interesting Finland are the 6th most successful Winter Olympics nations with a total of 389 medals up to 2010 - below them are Germany (329), Switzerland (289) and Austria (249) http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/feb/11/winter-olympics-medals-by-country So none of these nations should hold a Winter games then either? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgdO92JOXxAOdDVlaUpkNlB2WERtV3l1ZVFYbzllQWc#gid=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ofan Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Interesting Finland are the 6th most successful Winter Olympics nations with a total of 389 medals up to 2010 - below them are Germany (329), Switzerland (289) and Austria (249) http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/feb/11/winter-olympics-medals-by-country So none of these nations should hold a Winter games then either? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgdO92JOXxAOdDVlaUpkNlB2WERtV3l1ZVFYbzllQWc#gid=1 Finland won 5 medals in 2010. Czech Republic won 6. It doesn't matter what history says. At the moment they are not strong winter sports nations. They are excellent at cross country, speed skating and hockey. But they are not well-rounded, strong Olympic sports nations like Russia, USA, Germany, Norway, Canada, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intoronto Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Yet Korea won medals in skating disciplines and will host 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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