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Austria-Slovenia-Italy 2030 (or 2034)


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Earlier tonight, I saw a report on Austrian television that several influential people, including high-ranking politicians from the Austrian state of Carinthia, are trying to revive the idea of a joint Austrian-Slovenian-Italian bid for the Winter Games. The bid would presumably be centered around the towns of Klagenfurt, Kranjska Gora, and Tarvisio.

Yes, two previous joint bids involving these three countries failed to convince the voters, but much has changed in the meantime. Slovenia is now a EU member, a part of the Eurozone, and a signatory to the Schengen Agreement, which has eliminated all border controls between the three countries. The Games would rely on existing infrastructure, ranging from the many hotels in the area to sports facilities such as the recently opened state-of-the-art Planica Nordic Center. This would make the event far more environmentally (and financially) responsible than hosting it somewhere where all the infrastructure has to be built from scratch.

The joint bid would also underscore the progress this region--and Europe as a whole--has made to move on from the time when politics and hard borders divided people and nations.

Is this a pipe dream or a plausible bid? What do you think? Would you like to see this become reality?

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17 hours ago, AliciasBlade said:

If Italy is part of the joint bid, wouldn't it be too soon since Milan-Cotina is gonna host 2026?

I agree with that. I think 2034 or 2038 is more possible on that than for 2030. I expect Austria (Graz)/Romania (Brasov)/Slovenia (Bled) to host for 2038.

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On 2/4/2022 at 9:19 PM, SportLightning said:

I agree with that. I think 2034 or 2038 is more possible on that than for 2030. I expect Austria (Graz)/Romania (Brasov)/Slovenia (Bled) to host for 2038.

Sounds interesting, but how would that work logistically, since Romania borders neither Slovenia nor Austria?

Here's an update regarding the bid, an auto-translated article from the Slovenian public broadcaster; it looks like 2034 is indeed the year they're now aiming for:

https://www-rtvslo-si.translate.goog/sport/koroski-dezelni-glavar-obudil-idejo-o-skupnih-olimpijskih-igrah-v-avstriji-italiji-in-sloveniji/611329?_x_tr_sl=sl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

 

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4 hours ago, iceman530 said:

could just slovenia hold it?  at Lake Bled and Ljubljana?

What‘s Bled got to do with winter sports? It‘s not itself a mountain site, Alpine center is Kranjska Gora, Nordic is Planica. Both directly bordering Austria in a different valley.

Indoor arenas in Ljubljana and possibly Maribor would be feasible too.

The only thing Slovenia is really missing is a sliding track - Cortina would be nearest.

 

 

 

 

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21 hours ago, Faster said:

Austria can host on its own with existing facilities. Why would they need Slovenia and Italy.

 

This bid has a lot to do with European idealism. For much of the 20th century, these three countries were divided by politics, yet they are now EU partners, and they--especially (north-)western Slovenia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Italy), and Carinthia (Austria)--form an interconnected region between the Alps and the Adriatic. It's not unusual for people in the area to have lunch in one country, go shopping in another, and then go back home to a third.

It's also the only place where the three major European language groups--Germanic, Slavic, and Romance--converge, as do the continent's major physical features--the Alps, the Mediterranean, and the Pannonian Plain. In several respects, the area is Europe in miniature, and this idealistic (perhaps too idealistic) bid would underscore that.

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On 2/6/2022 at 10:09 PM, StefanMUC said:

What‘s Bled got to do with winter sports? It‘s not itself a mountain site, Alpine center is Kranjska Gora, Nordic is Planica. Both directly bordering Austria in a different valley.

Indoor arenas in Ljubljana and possibly Maribor would be feasible too.

The only thing Slovenia is really missing is a sliding track - Cortina would be nearest.

 

 

 

 

That seems like it would be a good shout.  Cortina would absolutely be a practical spot for the sliding events if Slovenia decided to go it alone.  

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On 2/7/2022 at 5:09 PM, StefanMUC said:

What‘s Bled got to do with winter sports? It‘s not itself a mountain site, Alpine center is Kranjska Gora, Nordic is Planica. Both directly bordering Austria in a different valley.

Indoor arenas in Ljubljana and possibly Maribor would be feasible too.

The only thing Slovenia is really missing is a sliding track - Cortina would be nearest.

 

 

 

 

Maribor isn't necessary. There's plenty of ski resorts near Ljubljana and the west of the country to host the Alpine and Snowboard events.

Planica Nordic Center will host the Ski Jumps, Cross Country and Biathlon. If Slovenia wants their own track, build one around here. Otherwise, Cortina would work. Add Kanin – Sella Nevea/Bovec ski resort to the mix as it's close to Cortina.

The indoor venues are simple. There's only the need to have a Speed Skating oval. You can replace the old outdoor one at SK Ilirija icerink, that could easily serve as a legacy multi-purpose venue.

Podmežakla Hall at Jesenice would be ideal for Curling. The standing area could easily be converted for media and VIP.

Tivoli Hall would serve as Ice Hockey II.

Arena Stožice would be Ice Hockey I.

As for Short Track Speed Skating and Figure Skating, a roof (temporary/permanent/retractable) over Stožice Stadium could work.

Alternatively, you have Podmežakla Hall for Ice Hockey II, Tivoli Hall 1 for Short Track Speed Skating/Figure Skating, Tivoli Hall 2 for Curling and Arena Stožice would remain for Ice Hockey I.

Which leaves Stožice Stadium, which is probably too small for ceremonies, even if you cramped people at field level. I would use that as the marshaling area during Ceremonies for athletes and performers. Across the road you could build a IAAF standard athletics stadium with temporary stands for up to or over 30,000 spectators.

I think Slovenia can easily host it alone. But using Cortina if they don't want to build the sliding venue.

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I included Maribor for indoor arena, not alpine events. A town its size could certainly maintain a mid-size venue for ice hockey or so instead of adding another one in Ljubljana which in itself is not a huge city that could make use of several indoor arenas (same goes for a big athletics stadium just to please ceremonies). And Maribor would probably increase support at national level if this part of Slovenia would get some share of events.

Slovenia has zero athletes in sliding sports in Beijing, there‘s surely no good argument to build a track. For Yugo nostalgia, getting Sarajevo back on board would perhaps make sense, but still a long shot.

 

 

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Ljubljana would be a wonderful host city, the only question really is whether Slovenia has enough money and resources to handle it as a country, it's not very big. I hope they do, it'd be a great place for a games in a real winter. I guess they'd use the bobsleigh track at Innsbruck or Cortina. 

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19 hours ago, yoshi said:

Ljubljana would be a wonderful host city, the only question really is whether Slovenia has enough money and resources to handle it as a country, it's not very big. I hope they do, it'd be a great place for a games in a real winter. I guess they'd use the bobsleigh track at Innsbruck or Cortina. 

They have the determination behind them as well as successive Olympic victories in both Winter and Summer Olympics. For example, my proposed ceremonies venue of a new world class athletics stadium would be one of the legacies for Summer athletes.

Cortina would be the sliding track venue if they don't want to build their own.

 

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7 hours ago, Lord David said:

They have the determination behind them as well as successive Olympic victories in both Winter and Summer Olympics. For example, my proposed ceremonies venue of a new world class athletics stadium would be one of the legacies for Summer athletes.

Not that leaving these useless white elephants behind is enough for summer games, now they are supposed to do it for the winter version, too? :huh:

Letalnica ski flying hill with some temporary seating might be a charming option for the ceremonies. In the case of Ljubljana, Stozice Stadium or an outdoor option will have to do. It's not like ticket sales could ever offset the price tag of an additional stadium with a doubtful legacy.

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44 minutes ago, yoshi said:

If the ceremony on the Seine in Paris is successful, they could copy that - the Ljubljana riverside is beautiful. The river is a bit narrow, but the winter games are smaller. 

Don‘t know really…Ljubljana‘s riverside really is narrow especially if spectators/stands need to be squeezed in. But creative solutions could surely be found if there ever was political will - and money - to go on and bid.

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Hello all, long time no see :)

 

Slovenia could host WOG when we speak about proper natural conditions, existing venues and winter sports tradition.
I am more concerned about the finance aspect of hosting. I know it was 10 years ago, so the whole situation might be different nowadays, but didn't they drop 2013 WInter Universiade in Maribor citing financial reasons?

Their nominal GDP is $65.5 billion, the population of whole country is slightly above 2 mln. Slovenia would be the smallest country hosting Olympic Games in history, the smallest in GDP, in area, and in population. This was doable 50 years ago, don't think it could happen now.

I would be very glad to see them hosting, but there is probably a reason why they didn't put a bid alone.

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Welcome back!

The economy is certainly the weak point of a Slovenian bid, which makes me doubt it will ever happen. On the other hand, all snow facilities are there and some of the ice ones (i.e. indoor arenas) as well plus likely  sliding track more or less across the border, so there would never be the need for any spending as gigantic as the last two or three Winter Olympics.

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If everything is pretty much more or less there already, which would mean no huge spending, what specifically is it about the Slovenian economy that makes it doubtful?

I know it’s smaller, for starters, than most of the other EU economies, but if they have most of the nitty-gritty, & the WOG’s are smaller in general than their summer counterpart, then what else is missing.

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Well it seems the collective gamebids braintrust has a darling project that they'd like to see in Europe.  Freely admit, Id be ecstatic with a Slovenia exclusive [sans slide track] bid.  30,000 is a bit small but again, creativity might be able to work there with a couple thousand more seats abound.  It could be pulled off.  If it wasn't to the T just because of stadium requirements, they should be okay with that if its practically a game-ready bid, which it rhetorically seems like it would be.

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11 hours ago, FYI said:

If everything is pretty much more or less there already, which would mean no huge spending, what specifically is it about the Slovenian economy that makes it doubtful?

Very limited domestic sponsorhip pool and the massive security cost should be the main issues.

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I cant remember the name of their beer when I was there, but it was positively delightful.  Bartender said it was basically Slovenia's main beer.  Absolutely hit the spot after a long day of hiking.  Obviously I know they dont have the footprint but wow, that would be some ambitious next level stuff from them.  

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