Switzerland’s failed Winter Olympics bid “Sion 2026” cost CHF6.3 million ($6.3 million), according to a Sunday newspaper. Federal and cantonal authorities and Swiss Olympic have reportedly split the bill.
On June 10, 2018, voters in canton Valais, including Sion which would have been the host city, rejected the plan which would have seen CHF100 million ($100 million) of their tax money pay for infrastructure and security. The local vote decision effectively killed the Swiss bid for the Games.
Sixteen months on, according to a report by Le Matin Dimanche, which has spoken to different sources including the Sion 2026 financial director Pierre-Alain Cardinaux, the failed bid cost CHF6.3 million.
The Federal Office for Sport and the Swiss Olympic refuse to divulge any figures until the end of 2019.
Costs split
But Cardinaux told the paper that the CHF6.3 million in costs was equally split between promotional activities, a feasibility study and general costs linked to IT, rent and salaries.
The bill has been divided in three between the federal authorities, Swiss Olympic and the local cantonal authorities. Valais has paid CHF1 million, while the city of Sion has given CHF300,000, the paper said. Cantons Vaud and Bern have each spent CHF260,000, double that of canton Fribourg which was also part of the initial regional proposal.
The newspaper drew a comparison with the failed Canadian bid for the 2026 Winter Games by Calgary, which cost 16.3 million Canadian dollars (CHF12.2 million).
Sion 2026 was the latest attempt to bring the Olympic games to Switzerland for the first time since St Moritz in 1948. If voters had approved the budget, the federal government said it would contribute almost CHF1 billion to help cover the costs. The total budget was estimated at CHF2.4 billion.
Opponents of the Sion 2026 bid argued the Games would go over budget. They said Valais would be better off investing in roads, hospitals and social services. Nor did they have much confidence in the International Olympic CommitteeExternal link (IOC), despite its adoption of a Agenda 2020, a reform strategy to optimise budgets and to reduce the complexity of the Games.
Supporters of the bid said the Olympics would have given the region more visibility, develop tourism, and generate momentum.
In June 2019, the IOC picked the joint Italian bid Cortina d’Ampezzo-Milan as host for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
More
More
Voters throw out latest Swiss bid to host Winter Olympics
This content was published on
Fifty-four per cent of voters in the Swiss canton of Valais have said no to bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
IOC president expresses hopes for Swiss Olympic bid
This content was published on
“The debate is just beginning”, the IOC head told Swiss Public Television RTS, just one day after an opinion poll published in the Swiss media revealed that only 36% of respondents supported the so-called Sion 2026 campaign for the southern Swiss canton of Valais. + Swiss poll finds strong opposition to 2026 Winter Games “It’s…
This content was published on
Hosting the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Sion will cost CHF2.4 billion ($2.43 billion) not CHF1.98 billion as previously announced.
This content was published on
The Swiss government pledged on Wednesday to throw its weight behind the Sion 2026 Winter Olympics bid, to the tune of almost CHF1 billion.
This content was published on
“And the winner is … Beijing.” This summer’s announcement by the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, of the hosts of the 2022 Winter Games was met around the world by a large sigh. Staging the world’s biggest winter sports event in a smog-ridden megalopolis without any snow and a record of…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.