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Poland re-enters Olympic bid race, now targeting 2040 or 2044

Poland has never hosted or bid for the Summer Games, but the nation failed in Winter Games bids by resort town Zakopane for 2006 and a 2022 campaign by Krakow that was later withdrawn after almost 70 percent voted against the project in a referendum

Wroclaw, Poland could be centre of 2030 joint Poland and Czech Republic Olympic Winter Games Bid (Wikipedia Photo)
Wroclaw, Poland could be center of 2040 or 2044 Olympic bid (Wikipedia Photo)

After backtracking plans to bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036 earlier this year, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters Friday that his nation will now target staging the Games in 2040 or 2044 instead.

“The realistic prospect, given the decisions, commitments and preliminary statements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is that we can talk about 2040 or 2044,” he said, according to AFP.

“I dedicate this decision to the 10, 12 and 15-year-olds of today. Poland will officially bid to host the Olympic Games,” Tusk added.

Poland has never hosted or bid for the Summer Games, but the nation failed in Winter Games bids by resort town Zakopane for 2006 and a 2022 campaign by Krakow that was later withdrawn after almost 70 percent voted against the project in a referendum.

The nation struggled at the Paris 2024 Olympics with its worst medal performance since the Melbourne 1956 Games winning only a single gold medal along with four silver and 5 bronze.

Last year President Andrzej Duda announced that a bid for 2036 was “imminent” with a letter set to go to IOC President Thomas Bach outlining plans to center the Games in capital Warsaw. But in January Polish sport minister Slawomir Nitras said the nation was not yet ready for a competitive bid and the previous government (that was replaced in December) had “taken no steps in this direction.”

Poland hopes to leverage experience from hosting the 2023 European Games as it build a resume for the IOC.

Both Germany and United Kingdom have shown interest in bidding for the 2040 edition while a long line has formed for those nations pursuing the 2036 Games.

The IOC does not disclose nations that are currently involved in so-called “continuous dialogue” aimed at choosing future hosts, but some jurisdictions have already discussed intentions for 2036 publicly. These include Istanbul in Türkiye, India, Egypt, Cape Town in South Africa, Seoul in South Korea and Santiago in Chile. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are thought to be interested as well but no formal announcements have been made.

The IOC can choose a candidate at any time and an announcement is expected as early as next year.

A senior producer and award-winning journalist covering Olympic bid business as founder of GamesBids.com as well as providing freelance support for print and Web publications around the world. Robert Livingstone is a member of the Olympic Journalists Association and the International Society of Olympic Historians.

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