The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it has received assurances of political backing for Stockholm’s bid to host the 2026 winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Stockholm is facing competition for the 2026 Games from an Italian bid incorporating Milan and Cortina D’Ampezzo.
The IOC will head to the Swedish capital for an evaluation visit later this month, with the host city set to be elected in June during the 134th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Stockholm 2026 bid, which also incorporates the Åre ski resort, is yet to receive full backing from the local and central government but the IOC’s Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said the signs are “very reassuring”.
“The talks with every level of government are in the right direction…We see very strong support from the government,” Dubi said, according to the Reuters news agency.
Bid chief executive Richard Brisius also insisted that political backing would be forthcoming. “We have received assurances in the most positive way. The prime minister of Sweden was in the media a few weeks ago saying how he supports the project. It was echoed in all our discussions. It is all on track.
“We have all the support requested at this stage.”
