Games and Rings
  • A Blog for Olympic Sports Fans

2022 Winter Olympics Outlook

10/2/2014

 
Picture
Yesterday, the Norwegian government failed to reach an agreement on funding for a possible 2022 Games, so the candidate city has withdrawn its interest.

Although rumblings of such a result have been occurring for the last few months, Oslo 2022 did hold out hope that there might be a governmental solution despite increasing public disapproval. Oslo is many ways was a perfect candidate - Norway has a rich and successful history of hosting the Games (Oslo '52, Lillehammer '04), and has been the most successful nation in the Winter Games.

The IOC's response indicates a clear level of frustration, to say the least. None of the previous withdrawals from potential 2022 bids, from Munich, St Moritz and Krakow elicited such a strong comment. Had Oslo remained a candidate, it likely would have been the front-runner by far. Now, the only candidates are Almaty and Beijing, in two nations that do not offer any sort of comfort and shelter from human rights watchers and potential criticism from the larger world looking to hold the Games to an ideal of peace and camaraderie.

Despite no particular controversies during the Games, the run-up to Sochi was certainly a public relations headache for the IOC, and an impetus for critics to rightfully examine the wisdom of selecting host nations with less than ideal socio-political baggage. Now, being left with a choice between Kazakhstan and China is probably a worst-case scenario of epic proportions for the IOC. I imagine China is now the front-runner. China - with lots of money available to spend - will likely host 2022 now, which would mean three Games in a row in Asia after 2018 Pyeongchang and 2020 Tokyo. That is definitely a geographic imbalance the IOC would prefer to avoid, while unfortunately maybe representing a tilt in global politics anyway.

As an Olympic fan, I tend to look at the Games' glass as half-full. So, I had remained optimistic on Oslo sticking with their bid somehow. That was probably my hoping that it really wouldn't come down to the two that it has. The new high bar of scrutiny and expense that the Sochi Games exposed should draw cause for some serious introspection and reevaluation for the IOC in securing viable candidates for the future. Sochi definitely left a bad taste. On that half-full side, the race for the Summer 2024 Games seems to be on track with the U.S, Hungary, and Germany considering a bid, amongst others. Perhaps it's a Winter Games thing.

While applauding Norway for essentially handing them a rebuke, I agree with the IOC that it is a shame that Oslo will not showcase itself to the world. And I cringe at the thought of where these Games are headed. Let's see what lessons in the process the IOC will take on from here.  Thomas Bach, you're up.


Comments are closed.

    About This Blog

    Highlights from the world of Olympic sports, focused on the athletes, and as seen through the cheeky lens of this one particular, passionate fan.

    Navigate It

    ​A Little Roundup
    Biweekly links to select Olympic sport headlines and news, with a focus on the athletes

    Let's Get Social
    Biweekly selection of intriguing, provocative social posts from Olympic sport athletes
    ​

    Athletes Worth Watching
    Weekly roundup of features on emerging Olympic sports athletes to keep an eye on

    ​Ramblings and Things
    ​
    I have my own thoughts on Olympic sport news and athletes sometimes!
    Read more about me.

    Picture
    At Rio 2016's Barra Olympic Park
    Header: Kallimamaro stadium in Athens, site of the first modern Olympics in 1896

    Follow Me

    Picture
    Tweets by @GamesandRings

    Picture

    Picture

    Favorite Sites

    The IOC
    The Olympic Channel
    The Olympic Museum
    Olympic World Library
    ​
    Team USA
    World Athletics
    ​Athletics Integrity Unit
    WADA
    Court of Arbitration
    Around the Rings
    Inside the Games
    GamesBids.com
    ​AP Olympics
    NBC Olympic Talk
    NY Times ​Olympics
    USA TODAY Olympics
    Wiki Summer Olympics
    Wiki Winter Olympics
    ​Athlete365
    ​Olympic Historians
    World Olympians Assoc.
    ​Games Architecture​
    Art of the Olympians
    Olympic.org Results
    ​Olympedia
    ​Olympstats
    ​
    Olympian Database
    ​On This Day in Sports
    ​Olympic City Project
    ​
    Keep the Flame Alive
    ​Totallympics
    ​Qualifying to the Games
    ​Lost Olympians
    ​
    Olympians 1964 to 2020
    Outsports
    ​
    Queerstory Files
    Tokyo 2020
    ​Beijing 2022
    ​Paris 2024
    ​Milan Cortina 2026
    Los Angeles 2028


    Categories

    All
    A Little Roundup
    Alpine Skiing
    Aquatics
    Archery
    Artistic Swimming
    Athens 1896
    Athens 2004
    Athlete Spotlight
    Athlete Worth Watching
    Atlanta 1996
    Badminton
    Baseball
    Basketball
    Basketball 3x3
    Beach Volleyball
    Beijing 2008
    Beijing 2022
    Biathlon
    Bobsled
    Boxing
    Breaking
    Canoe/Kayak
    Cross Country Skiing
    Curling
    Cycling
    Cycling BMX
    Cycling Mountain Bike
    Cycling Road
    Cycling Track
    Demonstration Sports
    Diving
    Equestrian
    Fencing
    Field Hockey
    Figure Skating
    Freestyle Skiing
    Golf
    Gymnastics
    Handball
    Ice Hockey
    IOC
    Judo
    Karate
    Let's Get Social
    London 1908
    London 1948
    London 2012
    Los Angeles 1984
    Los Angeles 2028
    Luge
    Melbourne 1956
    Mexico City 1968
    Modern Pentathlon
    Montreal 1976
    Moscow 1980
    Munich 1972
    Nordic Combined
    Olympics
    Olympic Sports Media
    On This Date
    Other
    Paralympics
    Paris 2024
    Rhythmic Gymnastics
    Rio 2016
    Rome 1960
    Rowing
    Rugby Sevens
    Sailing
    Seoul 1988
    Shooting
    Short Track Speedskating
    Skateboarding
    Skeleton
    Ski Jumping
    Snowboarding
    Soccer (football)
    Sochi 2014
    Softball
    Speed Skating
    Sport Climbing
    Squash
    Summer Olympics
    Surfing
    Swimming
    Sydney 2000
    Table Tennis
    Taekwondo
    Tennis
    Tokyo 1964
    Tokyo 2020
    Track And Field
    Trampolining
    Triathlon
    Volleyball
    WADA
    Water Polo
    Weightlifting
    Winter Olympics
    Wrestling


    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014


    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly