BERN, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss Olympic bid organizers detailed their venue plans Monday for Crans-Montana to host alpine skiing events at the 2038 Olympics.
The Swiss Olympic Committee is the only candidate organization that is negotiating with the International Olympic Committee to win the right to host the Winter Olympics in 12 years. This will be the first Winter Olympics to be held in Switzerland since the 1948 Games in St. Moritz.
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Crans-Montana is one of the established venues for World Cup matches and winter sports competitions that will be used for Olympic events across the country in a bid to avoid taxpayer construction costs.
Switzerland is in mourning after a deadly bar fire broke out in a ski resort on New Year’s Day.
Crans-Montana will also host the Alpine Ski World Championships next year and World Cup events three weeks before the Olympic Games in Cortina, Milan, which starts on February 6. The resort comes after nearby Sion was vying to host the 2026 Olympics, which was ultimately won by Italy.
Swiss Olympic Committee officials confirmed on Monday that they expected to use the bobsleigh track in St. Moritz in 2038 to host ski jumping in Engelberg and biathlon events in Lenzerheide. Hockey matches will be held in stadiums in Zurich and Zug, with some games taking place in Lugano, which includes the Italian-speaking part of the country.
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Lausanne, the seat of the International Olympic Committee, has been given priority to host the opening ceremony, figure skating and short track skating events. The city is the center for the 2020 Youth Winter Games.
Geneva will host speed skating and curling events – using the Palexpo complex that has hosted the Davis Cup tennis tournament and the annual showjumping event – and become a base for international broadcasters.
Officials of the Olympic bid said that the Swiss capital Bern will host the closing ceremony and Lucerne will become the hotel center.
The IOC has not yet set a deadline to complete negotiations with Swiss officials or make a final decision.
Switzerland is vying to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics, but bids were awarded to the French Alps and Nice ahead of Paris 2024. Salt Lake City will be the site of the 2034 Winter Olympics in Utah, Paris confirmed.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
