Sweden took a step closer to bidding to host the Winter Olympics in 2030, with the support provided by the government on Sunday, a few days after France submitted its own application to the IOC.
In a statement, the government gave the green light to the National Olympic Committee to complete the country’s candidacy file, saying it was “ready to move on to the next phase” and to “provide 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. On Sunday, the Swedish Minister of Sports, Jakob Forssmed, raised with the TT agency the possibility of including others in Latvia and Norway, without further details.
Two competitors: France and Switzerland
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.
France formalized its candidacy last Tuesday by submitting its file to the IOC. This candidacy is supported by the two regions encompassing the French Alps, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Paca).