Switzerland 2038

[AustralianFan]

On 4/1/2023 at 6:19 PM, StefanMUC said:

A thread about “Switzerland 2030” is just as useless as one about “Nusantara 2036” or “Tulsa Whenever”.

It is not going to happen.

Are you sure about that? 

[AustralianFan]

“The Swiss Olympic Executive Board has decided to ask the IOC to progress from "informal dialogue" to "continuous dialogue".

“The move raises the prospect of a Swiss bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics as the IOC battles to secure a host for the event.”

 

[AustralianFan]

“Swiss Olympic decided to request the IOC to move from ‘informal dialogue’ to ‘ongoing dialogue’ in the ‘Election of Future Hosts’ process,” a statement read, also cautioning that “a new Swiss candidacy will only be taken into account after a thorough examination.”

 

[AustralianFan]

 

2 hours ago, Bear said:

regardless - pretty interesting developments, especially considering that it appears the Swiss don't actually want an Olympics... maybe Lausanne 2020's success sparked a shift? 

 

1 hour ago, Sigh said:

Regardless of the formalities what Swiss Olympic has only just done is to start what amounts to a feasibility study for WOGs at an unspecified time. A first step in a very long journey.

Swiss media expressed doubts that the idea would pass the necessary referendum/referenda when/if it goes that far some time in the future

 

Perhaps there actually has been a positve shift to some degree in public opinion polling  since the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games?
 

 

[Sigh]

39 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

Perhaps there actually has been a positve shift to some degree in public opinion polling  since the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games?

Perhaps. We will not know for sure until March 3, 2024 at the earliest.

[stryker]

3 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

 

 

 

Perhaps there actually has been a positve shift to some degree in public opinion polling  since the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games?
 

 

2020 is a while ago. You've got a worldwide economic crisis, a pro-Russia IOC, and the unique nature of how the Swiss government does business makes a bid near impossible to pass a referendum just as has been reported. The fact that local media are reporting that says that public opinion is still a negative. A successful YOGs in Lillehammer wasn't enough to get the Norwegians back and board (and Bach and the IOC are solely to blame for that). 

[AustralianFan]

9 minutes ago, stryker said:

2020 is a while ago. You've got a worldwide economic crisis, a pro-Russia IOC, and the unique nature of how the Swiss government does business makes a bid near impossible to pass a referendum just as has been reported. The fact that local media are reporting that says that public opinion is still a negative. A successful YOGs in Lillehammer wasn't enough to get the Norwegians back and board (and Bach and the IOC are solely to blame for that). 

Well, whatever it is, something has suddenly  stung Switzerland into action to now conduct a Feasibilty Assessment on hosting the Olympic Winter Games, parrelling what Sweden are also doing.

Does anyone have any recent public opinion polling from Switzerland?  

Is it that Switzerland has perhaps done some private opinion polling of their own to gauge sentiment? - a bit like political parties do to get a feel for their electorate’s feelings are on different issues

[AustralianFan]

3 hours ago, Sigh said:

Perhaps. We will not know for sure until March 3, 2024 at the earliest.

I agree.

[stryker]

1 minute ago, AustralianFan said:

 

Is it that Switzerland has perhaps done some private opinion polling of their own to gauge sentiment? - a bit like political parties do to get a feel for their electorate’s feelings are on different issues

No public opinion polling on this would be public knowledge. It's worth noting that opinion polls for the last failed Swiss bid in Sion for 2026 never crossed 50 percent.

[AustralianFan]

3 minutes ago, stryker said:

No public opinion polling on this would be public knowledge. It's worth noting that opinion polls for the last failed Swiss bid in Sion for 2026 never crossed 50 percent.

Since then Switzerland have hosted a very successful Youth Olympic Winter Games 9-20 January 2020 in Lausanne.

 

[stryker]

4 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

Since then Switzerland have hosted a very successful Youth Olympic Winter Games 9-20 January 2020 in Lausanne.

 

No doubt. Innsbruck also hosted a very successful 2012 YOWGs. They then tried to parlay that success into a bid for 2026. It failed via referendum. There was hope as well Norway would give it another go after Lillehammer held the YOWGs in 2016 but the bad blood for 2022 was still likely too fresh. Bottom line is hosting a successful YOGs, summer or otherwise, does not translate into success or an appetite PR wise for the real thing. 

[AustralianFan]

12 minutes ago, stryker said:

No doubt. Innsbruck also hosted a very successful 2012 YOWGs. They then tried to parlay that success into a bid for 2026. It failed via referendum. There was hope as well Norway would give it another go after Lillehammer held the YOWGs in 2016 but the bad blood for 2022 was still likely too fresh. Bottom line is hosting a successful YOGs, summer or otherwise, does not translate into success or an appetite PR wise for the real thing. 

 Maybe so, but something has spurred Switzerland into action who are now conducting a Feasibilty Assessment.

 

[AustralianFan]

3 hours ago, stryker said:

No doubt. Innsbruck also hosted a very successful 2012 YOWGs. They then tried to parlay that success into a bid for 2026. It failed via referendum. There was hope as well Norway would give it another go after Lillehammer held the YOWGs in 2016 but the bad blood for 2022 was still likely too fresh. Bottom line is hosting a successful YOGs, summer or otherwise, does not translate into success or an appetite PR wise for the real thing. 

 

3 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

 Maybe so, but something has spurred Switzerland into action who are now conducting a Feasibilty Assessment.

 

Perhaps Switzerland are also getting early, raising their profile, in a long play strategy to ready and raring for membership of the rotating host pool .. and the economic benefits that they anticipate might come with a regular returning Winter Games ?

[Quaker2001]

7 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

 

Perhaps Switzerland are also getting early, raising their profile, in a long play strategy to ready and raring for membership of the rotating host pool .. and the economic benefits that they anticipate might come with a regular returning Winter Games ?

 

Or maybe it is in fact just a case of FOMO.  And they just want to talk.  Again, let's not get too excited about where this is headed.  This is not the solution to the IOC's problem for 2030.  They need to solve that before any future considerations are made

[AustralianFan]

 

On 4/4/2023 at 3:51 AM, Bear said:

The headline is misleading - the Swiss NOC has only requested to enter ongoing / continuous dialogue

 

21 hours ago, AustralianFan said:

You’re absolutely right with your post @Bear.  Switzerland have requested to enter Continuous Dialogue

 

 

2 hours ago, GBModerator said:

Under the rules, a request to enter ongoing dialogue with IOC by an NOC is automatically granted.

So Swittzerland are officially in Continuous Dialogue and would have their eye on the 2030 Games although they have not yet revealed which edition of the Games they are interested in.

My bet it is for 2030 which is why they’ve already launched a Feasibility Assessment.   A big hurdle ahead of them is to win over public and government support.

[Bear]

16 minutes ago, AustralianFan said:

My bet it is for 2030 which is why they’ve already launched a Feasibility Assessment.   A big hurdle ahead of them is to win over public and government support.

I think it's because of the public support issue that they won't target 2030 - maybe 2038, or maybe they're trying to get a head start in gaining inclusion into the rotation pool if it does end up becoming a thing

[AustralianFan]

16 minutes ago, Bear said:

I think it's because of the public support issue that they won't target 2030 - maybe 2038, or maybe they're trying to get a head start in gaining inclusion into the rotation pool if it does end up becoming a thing

I think so too.

[AustralianFan]

Switzerland Tiptoe into Winter Games Talks

(from Sports Examiner)

 

“Last week’s announcement could not have been more tentative:”

“Swiss Olympic is examining the general conditions for the Winter Games in Switzerland”

“With the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee reiterating its preference for the 2034 Winter Games in order to allow some breathing room after the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the International Olympic Committee is looking for bidders for 2030. Sweden is doing a feasibility study, likely with Stockholm as the key site, and now the Swiss might be in. Maybe:

“[T]he Executive Council of Swiss Olympic decided to apply to the IOC as part of the ‘Future Host Process’ to move from ‘informal dialogue’ to ‘continuous dialogue.’ This makes Swiss Olympic the sole and sole point of contact for the IOC regarding a Swiss candidature and can thus bundle different projects and the forces behind them. This ongoing dialogue does not relate to a specific year. …”

“For Swiss Olympic it is clear that a new Swiss application can only be considered after careful examination. An application concept only has a chance if it is sustainable and the staging of the Olympic and Paralympic Games leaves a legacy that goes beyond sport – to society, the economy and Switzerland as a location for innovation.”

“There is good reason to go slow, as Switzerland has failed to land another Olympic Winter Games after hosting in St. Moritz in 1948. Swiss bids failedfor the 1960, 1976, 2002 and 2006 Winter Games and possible bids for 2010 (Berne) and 2026 (Sion) were derailed by regional referenda. The Olympic capital of Lausanne did host a fiscally responsible 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, with a budget of about $40 million U.S.”

“The situation for Salt Lake City appears very positive for 2034, but the IOC’s Future Hosts Commission for the Winter Games needs to report back to the IOC Executive Board on questions of a possible rotation of permanent host cities for the Winter Games. It is possible that the 2034 Games could be the first in a rotation plan, with a third Salt Lake City Winter Games coming again, perhaps, in 2046?”

Credit: Swiss tiptoe into Winter Games talks -by Rich Perelman, Sports Examiner - 4 April 2023

 

[FYI]

10 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

Or maybe it is in fact just a case of FOMO.  And they just want to talk.  Again, let's not get too excited about where this is headed.  This is not the solution to the IOC's problem for 2030.  They need to solve that before any future considerations are made

I mentioned the FOMO aspect in May of last year. But back then, it was about the "crowded field of interested parties" for the 2036 Summer Olympics (because you know, someone got too excited by all of those media reports by all those 'interested parties' about supposedly where all of that was headed, too). How those cities or NOC's (maybe I should say) got antsy because of how 2032 was handled (by the surprise of many of those same interested parties from 2032), VS that it had anything to do with the so-called 'new-norm' changes. 

Now here we are, almost a year later, & it's almost deja-vu all over again. But this time, it's with the (2030) Winter Olympics, & the FOMO has more to do with the IOC's own desperation of lacking a quality candidate for 2030 (besides SLC at this juncture, since everyone knows now that they prefer 2034 instead), than it has to do about any "climate initiatives" or a "permanent rotating hosting pool" rhetoric. 

[SportLightning]

I heard today that Switzerland has won the right to host the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 which could boost their chance of hosting the Winter Olympics.

[Quaker2001]

1 hour ago, SportLightning said:

I heard today that Switzerland has won the right to host the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 which could boost their chance of hosting the Winter Olympics.

 

Correct on 2025.  Don't know that does much for their prospects for hosting a Winter Olympics.  2 completely different events.  I don't think Switzerland's organizational abilities are in question.  Do they have the will and the desire to make this work.  If we're talking about a future rotation, I like those chances a little better.  Not so much so far as 2030 is concerned

[Sigh]

Regarding Switzerland the formal structure is complicated.

Regardless of target year, any bid from Switzerland will have to pass a referendum. Depending on how it's structured it may have to pass several (at once); federal and all the involved cantons. Not impossible but as one Swiss newpaper wrote: A very uphill struggle.

My impression is that Swiss Olympic is more interested in being involved in view of future games, including rotating ones, rather than 2030 where it would be a squeeze to have a bid ready before IOC finally will be forced to take a decision. Perhaps 2034 after SLC 2030?

As for the SOK bid I've earlier expressed how much confidence I have in that quixotic bid.

[FYI]

5 hours ago, Sigh said:

My impression is that Swiss Olympic is more interested in being involved in view of future games, including rotating ones, rather than 2030 where it would be a squeeze to have a bid ready before IOC finally will be forced to take a decision. Perhaps 2034 after SLC 2030?

 More than likely so. But that still won't stop the IOC in spinning their wheels, desperately trying to find a 2030 alternative that isn't SLC. I'm actually starting to get the impression that the whole "permanent, rotating hosting pool" is nothing but a total guise. A desperate effort in trying to muster up "interest" for the sake of their greater goal in hoping to find that 2030 'miracle' bid. 

It's like a bait-&-switch. I mentioned the other day, that the IOC is trying to sell all of this stuff (rotating hosts, climate initiatives, etc) like a bunch of used car salesmen. Advertising these great cars on TV/online, but once you get to the dealer lot,  they tell you; "sorry, we don't have those deals anymore (aka 'rotating hosts'). But we do have this great beauty over here. She'd be perfect for all of your transportation needs (aka the 2030 Winter Games). So what do you think? Can we make a deal?"

Because as has been discussed before on the boards, a 'permanent, rotating hosting pool' really creates their own set of logistical challenges, which in theory, might look good on paper. But in actual practice, can be a different can of worms altogether.  

[fusilli]

 

 

 

Make it more Interested.. Swedenland 2030! 

[AustralianFan]

2 hours ago, FYI said:

I mentioned the other day the IOC is trying to sell all of this stuff (rotating hosts, climate initiatives, etc)

Actually, the IOC Executive Board are waiting for the Future Host Commission to finish their research and to advise the EB whether they think a rotating host pool is a good idea or not.

That’s why the 2030 host selection timeline has been paused.  

The EB, Chistophe Dubi, explicitly said this two weeks ago at the media conference in response to a journalist’s question.

The EB are most definitely not trying to sell the rotating host pool - far from it.

It’s because the Executive Board have not yet been advised by their own Future Host Commission if a rotating host pool is a good idea or not until that research is completed and the report produced.