The picture becomes clearer. The tracks are becoming rarer. Three months before the official start of the bidding campaign for the 2026 Winter Games, the list of applicants already has two names less. After Sion, whose project was consigned to the dustbin of history on June 10 by a "vote", the file carried by Graz and Schladming, in Austria, is also written in the past.
Friday July 7, the Graz 2026 bid committee surprised everyone by announcing via a press release that it would give up pursuing the adventure. Reason given: the absence of a “ clear political commitment » and frank support from the authorities of the province of Styria.
« Under these circumstances, a project of this magnitude cannot be implemented.”, explains the press release. According to the bid team, the regional administration had estimated, earlier in the week, that it did not have budgetary margin for the organization of the Winter Games.
The withdrawal of Graz and Schladming was not expected. A week earlier, its leaders had unveiled the results of a feasibility study carried out by three university teams. She suggested that organizing the Winter Games in 2026 would be “ largely feasible”, inexpensive (1,137 billion euros), almost risk-free and likely to bring in at least 1,67 billion euros.
But, at the same time, a petition launched by the Austrian Communist Party reportedly gathered 11.000 signatures, enough to force regional authorities to hold a referendum. Was the Austrian Olympic Committee afraid of another failure, after the no to the Winter Games in Innsbruck, recorded last fall? Likely. By giving up before being forced to, Austria saves appearances and can consider a new candidacy for the Winter Games in 2030.
Coincidence of the calendar: Graz's renunciation came at the same time, within a few hours, when the Italian government publicly expressed its support for a candidacy for the Winter Games in 2026.
« The Council of Ministers, having recognized the willingness of the municipalities of Cortina, Milan and Turin to propose a file for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, expressed its willingness to guarantee government support for the Italian candidacy », writes the press release.
The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) still has work to do before it can get behind a formal candidacy file. But the green light granted by the new government sounds like a first victory. It was far from being acquired. He even seemed very uncertain.
The rest should not take long. According to its president, Giovanni Malago, CONI must bring together a commission of experts this Tuesday, July 10, to work on the subject. She is supposed to sort through the three files in the running, Milan, Turin and Cortina d'Ampezzo, to nominate one and invite it to continue the journey. But it cannot be ruled out that the Italians opt for a form of compromise by asking the three applicant teams to join forces to propose a common candidacy.
In both cases, CONI will have to come back to the Italian government with a project that is not only solidly put together, but above all very low-cost, presenting no risk of additional costs to be borne by taxpayers. Never simple.
With the successive withdrawals of Sion and Graz, the race for the 2026 Winter Games appears more vague and uncertain than ever. It remains surrounded by a number of question marks.
In Calgary, the prospect of a referendum, announced for the month of November, is giving the project leaders a cold sweat. The latest poll reveals a very divided public opinion, with a real progression of the no. The anti-Games are activated. Doubtful, then.
In Sapporo, municipal authorities seem increasingly tempted to postpone the project for the Winter Games in 2030.
In Stockholm, the bid team must still rally the political forces of the city and the country to its cause. Not won in advance.
There remains the Erzurum case. The Turkish project receives little attention, but it is moving forward. He need not fear the threat of a referendum. And he has political support. A winning file? Not impossible.
