The city of Stockholm on Tuesday lent its support to Sweden’s bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics, with the Swedish capital expected to be the main venue for the competitions.
“The city council supports the initiative for a Swedish candidacy for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the city said in a statement.
The Swedish government gave the green light on November 12 to the Swedish Olympic Committee to move forward with its candidacy file, saying it was ready to “examine the conditions for providing the state guarantees required for a candidacy”.
As part of this file, Stockholm would constitute the main venue for the 2030 Winter Games, but other sites in the center of the country, including Falun, Are and Ostersund, would also be selected.
“By providing the municipal guarantee, our message is that the event can be carried out in a sustainable way on a climatic, economic and social level,” declared Karin Wanngård, mayor of the city of Stockholm quoted in the press release.
The Swedish Olympic Committee welcomed the support of the Swedish city.
“The sports movement is united behind this candidacy. As we intend to use existing venues and the knowledge of the organizers, the conditions are better than ever,” said Anna Iwarsson, acting president of the Swedish Sports Confederation, quoted in the Swedish Olympic Committee’s press release.
Sweden has already organized the Summer Olympics, in 1912, but this would be a first for the Winter Games.
While the final decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected in 2024, two other countries are serious candidates to host the 2030 Olympics: Switzerland and France.
The French candidacy is supported by the two regions encompassing the French Alps, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Paca).
A first selection between the candidates will take place during the IOC Executive Board which will be held in Paris from November 28 to December 1 and which will decide with which candidates it will enter the dialogue phase.
