Oslo bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics

Bids for the
2022 (2022) Winter Olympics and Paralympics
Overview
XXIV Olympic Winter Games
XIII Paralympic Winter Games
Details
CityOslo, Norway
ChairStian Berger Røsland (President)
Eli Grimsby (CEO)
NOCNorwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NOR)
Previous Games hosted
Hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics

Oslo 2022 Winter Olympics was a campaign by the private organization Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports for the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in Oslo, although in Norway it was primarily viewed as an application by the Olympic movement for government funding of an Olympic Games that would ultimately be decided by the Norwegian Parliament.[1] The Olympic organisations had already indicated a strong desire that Norway would host the games and provide the necessary funding. Oslo was described as the clear favourite to host the games in international media and was widely expected to be awarded the games, provided that the Norwegian Parliament granted the necessary funding.

Public opinion was strongly against granting government funding to an Olympics after a series of demands by the International Olympic Committee for luxury treatment of the committee members themselves were revealed in Norwegian media.[2] The demands included special lanes on roads only to be used by IOC members and cocktail reception at the Royal Palace with drinks paid for by the royal family. The IOC also "demanded control over all advertising space throughout Oslo" to be used exclusively by IOC's sponsors, something that is not possible in Norway because Norway is a liberal democracy where the government doesn't own or control "all advertising space throughout Oslo" and has no authority to give a foreign private organization exclusive use of a city and the private property within it.[3] Several commentators pointed out that such demands were unheard of in a western democracy; Slate described the IOC as a "notoriously ridiculous organization run by grifters and hereditary aristocrats."[4][2][5][6]

The Olympic movement's bid for government funding was cancelled on October 1, 2014, after the parliamentary caucus of the Conservative Party had voted to decline the application for funding.[7] Already, the Progress Party,[8] Centre Party[9] and Socialist Left Party[10] were opposed to the bid. Thus, it was no longer possible to get a parliamentary majority for a state guarantee.[11] Ole Berget, deputy minister in the Finance Ministry, said "the IOC's arrogance was an argument held high by a lot of people."[12] The country's largest newspaper commented that "Norway is a rich country, but we don't want to spend money on wrong things, like satisfying the crazy demands from IOC apparatchiks. These insane demands that they should be treated like the king of Saudi Arabia just won't fly with the Norwegian public."[12]

The IOC selected Beijing as the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics from the two remaining bids at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 31, 2015.

  1. ^ Exclusive Oslo confirm they will bid for 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
  2. ^ a b Mathis-Lilley, Ben (2 October 2014). "The IOC Demands That Helped Push Norway Out of Winter Olympic Bidding Are Hilarious". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  3. ^ "IOC hits out as Norway withdraws Winter Olympic bid". The Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Winter Olympics: What now for 2022 after Norway pulls out?". BBC Sport. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  5. ^ "IOC reportedly made some ridiculous demands to help push Oslo out of 2022 Winter Olympics bidding". National Post. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  6. ^ "IOC krever gratis sprit på stadion og cocktail-fest med Kongen". Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Høyre sier nei – ikke OL i Oslo 2022".
  8. ^ "Frp sier nei til OL i 2022". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  9. ^ "Senterpartiet sier nei til OL i Oslo 2022 – Senterpartiet". www.senterpartiet.no. Archived from the original on 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  10. ^ NRK (2013-08-15). "SV sier nei til Oslo-OL". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  11. ^ "Oslo stanser OL-arbeidet etter Høyres nei". Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  12. ^ a b "Oslo 2022 bid hurt by IOC demands, arrogance". AP. Retrieved 7 February 2022.