Swiss sport federations have overwhelmingly given their support to the nation’s potential 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid, a survey released Tuesday revealed.
The results of the survey conducted among 103 presidents, vice-presidents and managers of Swiss winter and summer sport federations will be included with other Olympic bid analysis to be given to the Swiss Olympic Executive Council when they determine whether Switzerland will forward a bid for the 2026 Games on March 7.
If the decision is made to submit an application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) before next year’s deadline the Council will choose from between the “Graubünden und Partner 2026” (Eastern Switzerland) and the merged bid “Sion 2026. The Games in The Heart of Switzerland” (Western Switzerland) bids that are currently being vetted and evaluated by a taskforce through February.
A decision to approve a bid would need to be ratified at the Extraordinary Assembly of the Parliament of Sport on April 11.
The results of a survey carried out by Swiss Olympic show that the Swiss sports federations strongly support the holding of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2026 in Switzerland. 96 per cent of the surveyed associations want Switzerland to organize the games and 86 per cent are convinced that the occasion can provide an impetus for the development of sport in Switzerland. In addition to the potential for Swiss sport in general, 59 per cent of respondents see an opportunity for the promotion of disabled sports when the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games take place in Switzerland.
80 percent of the surveyed associations share the opinion of Swiss Olympic that 2026 is the perfect time for a Swiss candidacy. In addition, 83 percent of respondents are willing to play an active role during the international candidacy campaign to bring the games to Switzerland in 2026.
“Since the start of the 2026 project, Swiss Olympic has received continuous positive feedback from all parts of the country,” said Jürg Stahl, President of Swiss Olympic.
“It is fantastic to feel this support from our members – from winter and summer sports federations. Wherever I go, the enthusiasm is great. Throughout the country there is an interest in leading our winter sports into the future.”
Didier Cuche, a member of the Task Force in 2026 added “the Olympic Games are a tremendous source of inspiration. I am pleased to note that Swiss sports’ decision-makers are just as enthusiastic about the idea of bringing the Olympic Games back to Switzerland.”
“It still takes work to develop the project as intelligently as possible. This result of the survey motivates us, however, to go further in the direction we have taken from the beginning.”
Switzerland last hosted the Winter Games in St. Moritz in 1948 but has bid for the event several times since. A lost referendum derailed a possible Davos-St. Moritz bid for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
International bids for the 2026 Games are being considered by Innsbruck, Stockholm, Calgary, Sapporo and 2022 bid runner-up Almaty, Kazakhstan. Other possible bidders may come from Germany and Italy.
