2022: A troubling scenario

[FYI]

What's changing is that the top European candidates are either dropping like flies, or aren't looking very promising due to coming up referendums in those respective communities. It's just a hypothetical. But if the likely candidates for 2022 are gonna be Poland, the Ukraine & Tblisi, heck, I'd even say that Denver, even with their big '72 faux paux, wouldn't be a factor at all.

Sure, the USOC seems to be systematic in their 2024 endeavor. But even they have acknowledged that 2024 is no guarantee that they'll bid. As recent as last month, the USOC mentioned that they'd hope to dwindle a field from 10 cities to two or three by November (right around the deadline for 2022 interests). Who's to say that they may not even be happy with those prospects for whatever reasons.

The USOC has also mentioned that they're going to gauge the prospective competition for 2024. What if they deem it to be too competitive. It's always mentioned a lot on here that the Summer Games are harder to grasp than the Winter ones bcuz it's much more vying. Not saying it's a forgone conclusion. But obviously, I'm not the only one here that thinks it could still be a plausible scenario, considering all the factors.

[paul]

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Edited June 24, 2013 by paul

[Lord David]

If that were the case, then 2022 would be a good time for Denver to mount a bid, but I'd opt for 2026 if that were the case.

Imagine if they won? Not only would you be celebrating 250 years of the USA, but imagine during the ceremonies, reflections on the 1976 games that never was!

[baron-pierreIV]

but imagine during the ceremonies, reflections on the 1976 games that never was!

Yeah, staring at an empty field for 25 minutes!!

[Lord David]

Well yeah, but I was thinking more of a delusional display of "Innsbruck 1976" not happening and fooling the world with fake images and video footage of the 1976 games that never came to be.

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\ That too...or this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viWunyHapPA

[gromit]

Gromit, just because we haven't mentioned every possible bidder in every post doesn't mean we're forgetting someone.

The reality is that Bubka and the Ukraine seem to be raring to go whereas Barcelona is still very hypothetical and it seems very unlikely that the Spaniards would back a second Castillian Games.

There is a fly in the ointment for a Ukraine bid though.

The Mountain.

Admittedly it is not quite of the same proportions as Finland but I don't believe they have a mountain even close to the 800m vertical. Unless FIS are suddenly going to agree to race the Mens Downhill with a 450-500m vertical????

[baron-pierreIV]

I am surprised Sofia, Bulgaria hasn't evinced any efforts to bid again since 1992 when they stayed 2nd throughout the voting and ended up in 2nd place after Albertville was 'manipulated' into winning.

[intoronto]

I am surprised Sofia, Bulgaria hasn't evinced any efforts to bid again since 1992 when they stayed 2nd throughout the voting and ended up in 2nd place after Albertville was 'manipulated' into winning.

Sofia's venue plan is its weakness. They even rejected going after the youth olympics in 2016.

[zekekelso]

Sofia's weakness is that it is in Bulgaria.

[markun]

If the Norwegian and Bavarian public reject their bids we could see something quite unexpected. Maybe even a two centre Games in Sweden...

[FYI]

I am surprised Sofia, Bulgaria hasn't evinced any efforts to bid again since 1992 when they stayed 2nd throughout the voting and ended up in 2nd place after Albertville was 'manipulated' into winning.

They did try again for 2014, but weren't short-listed, along with Jaca, Borjomi & Almaty. I guess after Sochi winning 2014, the Bulgarians realized that another Winter Olympics coming to Eastern Europe so soon was highly unlikely.

And it's interesting, but after showing a good 2nd place finish for '92, for '94 they finished last. I remember reading somewhere it was mostly political why they finished last that time.

[baron-pierreIV]

And it's interesting, but after showing a good 2nd place finish for '92, for '94 they finished last. I remember reading somewhere it was mostly political why they finished last that time.

Checked my book, and yes, it was after the Commies/ex-Commie bloc backed the Swedish guy (Ericsson) for the IOC Executive Board in favor of the African bloc's Essomba that the Africans paid the Socialists (and Sofia) back by voting Lillehammer rather than Sofia or Ostersund. And it was from that very election that Thomas Bach is hedging his bets vs. an early announcement from Munich 2022; and I also guess why the IOC has scheduled election of the new president as the last order of business in Buenos Aires, rather than the other way around.

Edited June 24, 2013 by baron-pierreIV

[markun]

i really hope Munich voters approve the bid. I think it would be a great Games.

[stryker]

Besides Sochi, PyenongChang isn't exactly keeping costs down. Didn't the Alpensia Resort have to get bailed out by the government to avoid bankruptcy? While it may not equal to price tag of what Sochi spends, bobsleigh tracks and ski jumps aren't getting any cheaper. I believe it was last year that Torino made the decision to dismantle their bobsleigh track.

[FYI]

Bottom line, the Olympics cost money. Even if Munich & Oslo were to bid, their spending wouldn't be at all near the splurge that Sochi, & to to lesser extent, PyeongChang are, since they have much more already in place than the former. But yet you still have people there not being too happy about their respective cities hosting cuz you still have operational costs that run into the Billions.

The Olympics aren't a money maker, nor are they a charity event. They're an investment. And that's what many still don't understand about them. Many still think of the limelight that the Games may bring them. But the reality is, that the Olympics are a luxury that only a small few can achieve, & if you really can't afford them, or want to spend the money on them, then don't bid for them to begin with.

[Roger87]

Bottom line, the Olympics cost money. Even if Munich & Oslo were to bid, their spending wouldn't be at all near the splurge that Sochi, & to to lesser extent, PyeongChang are, since they have much more already in place than the former. But yet you still have people there not being too happy about their respective cities hosting cuz you still have operational costs that run into the Billions.

The Olympics aren't a money maker, nor are they a charity event. They're an investment. And that's what many still don't understand about them. Many still think of the limelight that the Games may bring them. But the reality is, that the Olympics are a luxury that only a small few can achieve, & if you really can't afford them, or want to spend the money on them, then don't bid for them to begin with.

Agreed. With right hands and minds, the Olympics can be a potential inverstment -Barcelona, Sydney, London-. But in most cases we have white elephants

[Lord David]

I wouldn't say Sydney's games was an investment, the city has indeed benefited from the venues from the games, but had it lost the games and nothing came to pass, it would still be Sydney even without a 80,000 seater stadium (though I'm sure one would have been built eventually), a 17,000-20,000 seater arena (it could still function with the Entertainment Centre downtown) and the whole Dome/Exhibition complex would not come to pass as the Royal Easter Show/Agricultural Showgrounds would not have a new home.

[gromit]

Realistically Munich is the one location that could offer a compact(ish) bid and could do so with less investment. Even Oslo would need to build arenas to meet the minimum arena capacities. For Munich the following is already in place:

Ski Jumping Hills: Garmisch

Bobsleigh: Schonau au Kongisee

Biathalon: Ruhpolding

Speed Skating: Inzell Arena

Figure Skating: OlympiaHalle

Ice Hockey2: Eisstadion am Gutenbergweg, Landshut (73km to NE of Munich) used by Landshut Cannibals

Curling: Garmisch Olympia Stadium

Ceremonies: Olympic Stadium

All that would need to be built would be the Ice Hockey 1 arena .... and this could be done by either expanding the Olympia Eishalle from its current size of 6,250 seats or replace the arena on the same site, with EHC Munich of the DEL playing at the OlympiaHalle in the meantime

For Munich it is the cost of one arena with a tenant already there to use post games.

It would extended the bid, but it would still be much smaller than Oslo if they plan to use Kvitfjell and Lillehammer and much less than Stockholm/Are

Agreed. With right hands and minds, the Olympics can be a potential inverstment -Barcelona, Sydney, London-. But in most cases we have white elephants

If you look at London, even though there was a scare about the Olympic Stadium which they should have built along the lines of Stade de France from the outset, with the idea of a 60,000 seat venue post games for a football club to use but with athletics capacity, realistically London has not had any white elephants.

The Copper Box already has tenants (London Lions BBL) whilst although the temporary Basketball Arena has not quite worked as initially thought, I don't think it has left a legacy problem. Ironically both Sochi and Pyeongchang are using temporary arenas for Ice Hockey.

[intoronto]

Or they can have hockey one at the Allianz Arena if they want to be crazy.

[baron-pierreIV]

Or they can have hockey one at the Allianz Arena if they want to be crazy.

Using half of Allianz could be possible. But if it's rainy in February in Munich, then that wouldn't be a viable option.

[gromit]

Or they can have hockey one at the Allianz Arena if they want to be crazy.

The Allianz is owned by Bayern Munich and I very much doubt they'd give up the stadium for either Bundesliga or Champions League games.

A redeveloped Grunwalder stadium potentially developed for 1860 Munich might hold interest if publically owned

[Athensfan]

Gromit, just because we haven't mentioned every possible bidder in every post doesn't mean we're forgetting someone.

The reality is that Bubka and the Ukraine seem to be raring to go whereas Barcelona is still very hypothetical and it seems very unlikely that the Spaniards would back a second Castillian Games.

Oops. Meant Catalan Games. Sorry. My apologies.

[Trylon]

I could not begin to predict how future bids might develop. But I do hope Salt Lake stays out of it forever and forever. The 2002 games--or rather the bidding process and initial planning--were plastered with corruption. That is old news. The fact that the games' "success" was supposedly master-minded by the recent Republican candidate for the presidency in 2012 further taint that location with political bias. And in a world where the Olympics claim to support the rights and dignity of all people, to allow a city and state which still uses the death penalty (with three on death row who could actually face a firing squad) and which refuses to even consider marriage equality, is ludicrous. Salt Lake does not deserve another games. There are many, many other locations which can do a better job. If it comes down to a matter of expediency and Salt Lake is merely available, then cancel the games for that cycle because that would be a pathetic decision.

[paul]