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After the IOC’s cancellation, there is disappointment among top athletes, perplexity and anger among officials and politicians.
The Winter Olympics will not take place in Switzerland in 2030. The IOC announced this on Wednesday. Now there is talk of 2038 – but Switzerland still has to work hard for that, says the IOC.
Former sports minister Adolf Ogi, who once unsuccessfully fought for the 2006 Olympics in Sion, is bitterly disappointed with the IOC’s current behavior. “You can’t treat the Swiss people like that,” says Ogi.
You can’t treat the Swiss people like that.
“We here in Switzerland don’t understand what the IOC did in Paris. Switzerland has so much merit to the IOC that you can’t just say, now you have to wait until 2038.”
Young top athletes are also at a loss
The fact that the IOC encouraged Switzerland to apply for 2030 and has now backed out also leaves young top athletes perplexed. Especially since it is not the first time that Swiss Olympic dreams have evaporated.
The Swiss biathlete Lea Meier says: “Since I was twelve years old, there has been a constant debate about whether the Games can be held in Switzerland. It’s a blow every time because it’s also a childhood dream that probably won’t come true for me.”
“It also came as a great surprise to me that the IOC withdrew it so quickly and so early,” says biathlete Niklas Hartweg. “And I still can’t fully understand it.”
Trede: “You have to get away from gigantism”
The IOC found the plan that Switzerland would hold the Games to be as sustainable as possible with existing facilities spread across the entire country to be too decentralized. And the accommodation in hotels instead of in an Olympic village, not enough Olympic spirit.
I think only sustainable games are possible, that’s clear. You have to get away from gigantism.
For Green Party National Councilor Aline Trede, the question arises as to what game the IOC is really playing. “I think only sustainable games are possible, that’s clear,” says Trede. “You have to get away from gigantism.” But the IOC contradicts itself when it says it shouldn’t be too decentralized and too small. “You really have to make sure there is credibility there – and I really don’t see that at the IOC at the moment.”
National Councilor Rino Büchel, former head of sponsorship at the Swiss Ski Association, is on guard. “We simply cannot afford even higher costs than what has now been proposed. You always have to be careful, the IOC wants to make money and let the others pay the bills. You have to budget very carefully and do what the people are willing to bear.”
Swiss Olympic will analyze the decision
Swiss Olympic does not want to comment on what will happen next with a possible Swiss candidacy in 2038. At a meeting on Friday they want to analyze the IOC decision and determine the next steps, according to SRF’s request.
Adolf Ogi wouldn’t give up the begging straight away. But as an eternal optimist, he has also become more cautious. «We now had a certain euphoria. The majority in Switzerland found that there was more benefit than harm. Now it’s been ruined, you have to start all over again. We don’t know whether you still want this, whether you still have the strength, (…) the enthusiasm that is needed and that you had for 2030, whether that is still there.”
It cannot be ruled out that Switzerland’s Olympic dreams will soon be a thing of the past.