Reporting from Milan, Italy – The 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are Switzerland’s for the taking if they can firm up plans and win government and public support before the end of 2027.
On Wednesday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it is ready to begin targeted dialogue – a bid phase designed for building a final host contract and gaining official approval from IOC members – with Swiss Olympic by the end of this year. That would then virtually assure that the Games will go to Switzerland for the third time (St. Moritz 1928, 1948).
During a presentation by the IOC’s Future Host Commission, chair Karl Stoss said the Swiss have proposed a national Olympics with venues spread across several cantons, complying with recent IOC reforms that frown upon the construction of new Games-specific venues. Instead, existing and temporary facilities will be leveraged where they already exist.
Gaining public support for an Olympic bid is daunting in Switzerland with referendums having already toppled recent projects including Sion’s vision to host the 2026 Games that are instead set to open in Milan, Italy Friday. Since last hosting the Games seven Swiss-based bids have failed including 2026, 2010, 2006, 2002, 1976, 1960 and 1952. It is still unclear whether the 2038 bid will require one or more public votes for legal approval with several jurisdictions as potential stakeholders.
Meeting the IOC’s requirements before the window of exclusivity ends in 2027 will require a lot of work.
Still, the IOC remains locked-in to a Swiss Games in 2038 and on Wednesday IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi confirmed that they are not entertaining any other interested parties for the Winter Olympics while the exclusive Swiss window is open.
When asked by GamesBids.com to explain, Dubi said “other bidders were very disappointed at the time when the Executive Board made the decision to tie up with Switzerland.
“We had interested parties in Asia and Europe, and we said sorry.
“Switzerland is currently not in a position to compose a complete dossier with all the guarantees but they have just released their document with a master plan, and now everyone will be consulted, and the government might look at it at the end of the year.
“And then we will be in a position to see if Switzerland has met all the requirements and, if not, then those who expressed an interest in hosting for 2038 will be back.”
Meanwhile the IOC under new president Kirsty Coventry is reviewing everything they do with a ‘fit for the future’ agenda. For the Winter Games, one such proposal is shifting the timing of the Winter Olympics to January instead of February to increase the odds that there will be natural snow. It’s an idea that will have to be carefully vetted because it could seriously disrupt the international sports schedule and might negatively impact the value of broadcast contracts that the IOC relies on for a bulk of its revenues.
The change could kick in as soon as 2030 with the Games in the French Alps.
The IOC has also been examining the concept of nurturing a small group of Winter Games hosts that could be put in an informal permanent rotation. Studies have shown that due to climate change there may only be 10 viable host locations in the world by 2040.
“It is definitely something we will work at,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry told reporters at a press conference Wednesday noting that the decision would require analysis and be based on facts.
Such viable hosts could include Sapporo, Japan after the city pulled out of bids for 2026, 2030 and 2034 only to feel snubbed by the IOC when Switzerland was given priority for 2038. Sweden could be another option after being defeated as Milano Cortina’s only rival in the 2026 vote.
Canada is also interested in hosting its first Games since 2010 despite canceling Calgary 2026 plans when the bid was overturned in a municipal referendum, and Vancouver pulling out if the 2030 race when it was denied provincial government funding.
“The importance of hosting the Olympic Games in Canada is not lost on us, it is something we very much want to do,” Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) CEO David shoemaker said Thursday in Milan not ruling out a run at 2038 should Swiss plans fall through.
Shoemaker also hinted that a Youth Olympics in Canada might be explored as soon as the IOC completes its review of the Dakar, Senegal 2026 Games to be held in October and November.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are set to open Friday night at San Siro Stadium.
