Oslo is a “good safe place” said Gerhard Heiberg, a Norwegian member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as he presented its bid on Monday, and Oslo would limit the bill to host the 2022 Games to around $5 billion, said bid officials.
Heiberg said, “maybe the cost, the investment in Sochi, have frightened them a little bit”.
Heiberg also said that Norway, a wealthy country where skiing is a sporting passion, could guarantee a compelling Games. He said, “this is a good safe place where everybody knows that the Games will be a success and that will benefit the image of the Olympic movement”.
Oslo city mayor Stian Berger Roesland told reporters, “we are going to move forward with our national campaign of getting support for a bid”. He added that polls showed young people were particularly enthusiastic about hosting the Games.
Reuters reports officials said the total bill would be around $5.4 billion, including $2 billion of private investment to build the athletes village and the media centre.
Oslo hosted the 1952 Games and Lillehammer, two hours drive away, was the 1994 host.
Lillehammer would again host the Alpine ski races.
Heiberg send that improved road and rail links would make journeys between the two venues easier. He added, “the time factor is not as important as it used to be”.
The IOC will decide on the host city of the 2022 Games in 2015. Other contenders are Beijing, Krakow Poland, Lviv Ukraine and Kazakhstan’s Almaty.
