Aftenposten reports that according to a recent poll, 51 per cent of Norwegians said they were against giving state guarantees of between NOK 15 and 20 billion ($4-5 billion U.S.) to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
According to Aftenposten the poll indicates that opposition to the Games remains firm despite recent attempts to “spruce up” Tromso’s bid with a new leader and a former ski star on the board of directors.
Only 38 per cent of respondents are in favour of the bid, with 11 per cent undecided. Support reportedly varies from one part of Norway to another. The local population in Northern Norway was most in favour of the Games, while those in Eastern Norway were “least enthusiastic”.
Gerhard Heiberg, a Norwegian on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said it was bad news for Tromso’s hopes of hosting the Games. He said, “it’s important for the IOC to see that there is real public support in the country which applies to have the Olympics”. He thinks Tromso has to work harder to change public opinion.
Tromso 2018’s new head Petter Ranningen blames the way the poll was conducted. He said, “NRK only asked about the costs, forgetting about the benefits. More neutral polls show that a majority of the population want the Olympic Games in Norway in 2018”.
