After it received much criticism, Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume has dropped his city’s bid for the Olympic Winter Games.
Labeaume admitted the futility of any attempt at a Thursday press conference saying “we must forget about the Olympics.”
Without a high enough downhill ski run nearby and lacking key venues such as a sliding track and ski jump, the bid has been considered a non-starter by most. But the mayor’s idea to leverage facilities at Lake Placid, Calgary or Whistler – a plan he said was supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – kept the dream on life-support for the past few weeks.
However last month a spokesperson for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said that Lake Placid would not be offered for the 2026 Games – instead the U.S. is solely focused on the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Olympics that will be awarded September 2017. Bids for the 2026 Games are due into the IOC next year.
Calgary has been considering a bid on its own, leaving only Whistler as a potential partner with venues over 5,000 km away – an unrealistic option. Quebec previously bid for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games finishing last of four cities on the ballot – and failed to receive a subsequent domestic nomination when Vancouver was chosen instead for the 2010 Games.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has given other cities that are considering hosting either the 2026 Winter Games or 2028 Summer Games until June 30 to express their interest.
Along with Calgary, Almaty in Kazakhstan – after a failed bid for the 2022 Games, Switzerland and Sweden are considering 2026 Winter Games bids.
