Bergen, Stavanger and the western mountain city of Voss are teaming up to study the possibilities of mounting a bid for a “Fjord Olympics” in 2030, while Lillehammer officials are pondering the same, in either 2026 or 2030. The ambitious projects were immediately rejected as unrealistic, both financially and politically.
Newspaper Dagsavisen reported Thursday that the athletics council in Voss has ordered a study of what would be needed, in addition to money, to arrange a Winter Olympics. Their idea is to hold some events including ice hockey, figure skating and curling in Stavanger, other events including speed skating and bobsled in Bergen and the traditional skiing events in Voss and Myrkdalen.
Newspaper VG, meanwhile, reported on Wednesday that Lillehammer has already spent NOK 300,000 (nearly USD 40,000) on a report that also looks into the possibilities of bringing the Winter Olympics back to the Norwegian town that successfully hosted the sporting event in 1994. Their plan is based on the same structure as their earlier Winter Games but also opens up for locating some events in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger, to spread them around more of Norway.
Politicians and media commentators, however, were negative given the drama and public opposition to Oslo’s recent plans to host the Olympics in 2022. The huge expense ultimately prompted the government to refuse to put up the state financial guarantee needed. Potential organizers “must be tone deaf” to all the opposition, editorialized Dagsavisen on Thursday.
newsinenglish.no staff
