IOC promises $925M to host cities as delegation tours Calgary
Posted Jan 17, 2018 2:08 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Hundreds of millions of dollars will be pouring into Calgary’s Olympic ambitions, if the city bids and wins the rights to host the 2026 Winter Olympics.
On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee said the 2026 host would receive at least $975 million in funding.
“Games after Games, the organizers receive higher numbers every time and we’re very proud to contribute substantially,” said IOC sports director Christophe Dubi.
A delegation is in Calgary this week looking closely at existing winter sports facilities. Dubi said the group met with city council and he spoke to Mayor Naheed Nenshi. The IOC has been doing the same in other potential host cities to find a way to trim down operating budgets. Dubi pointed to Paris’ $3.6 billion dollar budget for the 2024 Summer Olympics and said expenses will continue to shrink as hosts opt to use infrastructure already in place.
“It’s very good news that the vision is to work with Vancouver or Whistler. Again if you look at our Agenda 2020, recommendation one was exactly this one, to make sure we have a positive legacy let’s use what exists, including outside of the city, outside of the country,” said Dubi.
He said it’s not uncommon, Hong Kong hosted equestrian competitions during Beijing’s Summer 2008 games.
Calgary city council is mulling over whether to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. It’s scheduled to discuss the subject again at its next meeting on January 29.
