2022 Winter Olympics Games Bids

[KiwiRob]

You still haven't come up with anythihng valid, all obsticals can be fixed, and as for the figure skating being botched they're Aussies so you shouldn't expect much

[Lord David]

The fact that the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships had to be moved from Brisbane to Nice was not simply because of TV contracts, it had to do with the willingness of the host nation to actually broadcast the event in full.

Foreign TV companies utilize facilities, services and get their feed from the host broadcaster's cameras. Australia not willing to adequately broadcast the event locally was a core reason as to why the event had to be moved.

For a Winter Olympics, broadcast rights and assurances will be secured (promised at bid). After all it is a high profile event, an International Broadcasting Center will be created or secured. A local broadcaster will air the entire event in full (with perhaps Pay TV filling the void).

The reason there hasn't been a bid? Well naturally it's lack of experience and infrastructure. But, with more and more investment into Winter Sports, perhaps we can see a bid in the future. The closest musings to a real bid (other than speculation for an NZ bid in 2014 and 2018) would be Australia's bid to host the 1956 Winter Olympics (with the Summer Games held in Melbourne, believing the right to host the Winter edition too as it was done in the past), back when the event was smaller in scale and less technical about vertical drops etc.

[Lord David]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

You still haven't come up with anythihng valid, all obsticals can be fixed, and as for the figure skating being botched they're Aussies so you shouldn't expect much

So let's say Auckland bid for the World Figure Skating Championships (or other similar indoor ice based major event), using Vector Arena, but no national broadcaster was willing to show the whole event in it's entirety, then, wouldn't that be a similar example to Brisbane?

Or the alternative, no venue in Auckland willing to serve as a Media Center or no secured accommodation for athletes and officials. Same thing.

It may have been foolish for Brisbane to bid for such a thing in the first place, but it's the organizers' fault for not getting any of our national channels to be willing to broadcast the event.

[Knitemplar]

Originally Posted by Lord David

It may have been foolish for Brisbane to bid for such a thing in the first place, but it's the organizers' fault for not getting any of our national channels to be willing to broadcast the event.

I'm sure they tried. Except probably the economics weren't there. Even in a capitalistic society like Oz, the market will decide. So carrying something like a Figure Skating World Champs was JUST NOT enticing enough for advertisers to buy air-time. And NO channel wanted to take the hit for it. So even for Australia, if it's NOT season-appropriate, then there are NO takers.

So if the SH insists on a WOG in September (when it's your spring...that still will NOT be the right time for the North when the schoolyear is just starting and that will be the focus in the North...not a Winter Olympic Games broadcast without snow. So what good is the 1st Winter Games in the South if there is NO viewership in the BIGGER, major markets??

The equation has to be valid and make sense.

[Knitemplar]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

...You still haven't come up with anythihng valid, all obsticals can be fixed...

Uh-huh. Even a cash-rich nation like Doha can't BUY a Winter Games.

But OK, keep dreaming and good luck.

BTW, you mean 'obstacles,"...like tentacles and testicles.

[isaidso]

I have no objections to a winter Olympics going to New Zealand if they can prove that it's viable. The best strategy is to start holding major winter sporting events there. Host some WC ski races, a biathlon event, land the World Figure Skating Championships, try and land a major speed skating event, etc.

New Zealand can't go from desire to bidding for the WOG; one has to go through the necessary initial steps. Secure these events first, build infrastructure bit by bit, prove that these winter sports can be successfully held in New Zealand, and then go for the big prize: the Winter Olympics.

I'm under no illusions about the place of winter sports in this part of the world, but the WOG is a very very big deal whether people realize it or not. When New Zealanders realize the mammoth size of the global television audience for the WOG, they'll realize what a big stage it is. They'll get behind it and do New Zealand proud.

I'd be a little worried about the New Zealand hockey team though. You'd get obliterated.

[Oslo2022]

Valle Hovin skating Oval: Presentation of sketches for a new oval tonight 17:00 at Valle Hovin.

Get there:

Metro (T-bane): Line 1,2,3 or 4 to Helsfyr then walk to Valle Hovin.

Here is a map.

[flierfy]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I have no objections to a winter Olympics going to New Zealand if they can prove that it's viable. The best strategy is to start holding major winter sporting events there. Host some WC ski races, a biathlon event, land the World Figure Skating Championships, try and land a major speed skating event, etc.

New Zealand faces the obstacle of distance. They are virtually on the opposite end of the world from Europe where most winter sport athletes are from. Holding World Cup races there will be highly controversial. Even if NZ can convince the boards the athletes would probably have a different opinion. Travelling around the world for just one or two races is a nuisance from a sporting point of view. Neither is the almost unpopulated country of NZ commercially particular lucrative.

And when exactly do you think there would be enough snow for skiing? Would it be possible in October or April, the month adjoining the season of winter sports?

[Lord David]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I'd be a little worried about the New Zealand hockey team though. You'd get obliterated.

No different to Sarajevo 1984 or Nagano 1998. Except of course it would be the Men's and Women's sides obliterated, perhaps at a slightly grander scale.

[Oslo2022]

Oslo

The new Valle Hovin skating Oval (12 000 seats). Sketches by Multiconsult and Link Architects.







And we are the host of the World Snowboarding Championships, Oslo 2012.

[PAO13]

^That looks good!

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by Lord David

So let's say Auckland bid for the World Figure Skating Championships (or other similar indoor ice based major event), using Vector Arena, but no national broadcaster was willing to show the whole event in it's entirety, then, wouldn't that be a similar example to Brisbane?

Or the alternative, no venue in Auckland willing to serve as a Media Center or no secured accommodation for athletes and officials. Same thing.

It may have been foolish for Brisbane to bid for such a thing in the first place, but it's the organizers' fault for not getting any of our national channels to be willing to broadcast the event.

Have you been living in a cave, NZ has just held the Rugby World Cup, a far larger event than a figure skating world championships, it was successful, so I see know reason why a smaller event like figure skating couldn't be held in NZ.

[KiwiRob]

Originally Posted by Knitemplar

Uh-huh. Even a cash-rich nation like Doha can't BUY a Winter Games.

But OK, keep dreaming and good luck.

BTW, you mean 'obstacles,"...like tentacles and testicles.

No snow in Doha, but I'm sure if they spent billions and built an indoor mountain with an 800m drop it would be looked at seriously.

[Knitemplar]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

No snow in Doha, but I'm sure if they spent billions and built an indoor mountain with an 800m drop it would be looked at seriously.

Sure. I guess they could start with the rubble of the excess 2022 stadia and pile up from there. And oh yeah, only if they skied down the synthetic slope in flowing Arab robes!!

[T74]

Originally Posted by Lord David

So let's say Auckland bid for the World Figure Skating Championships (or other similar indoor ice based major event), using Vector Arena, but no national broadcaster was willing to show the whole event in it's entirety, then, wouldn't that be a similar example to Brisbane?

Or the alternative, no venue in Auckland willing to serve as a Media Center or no secured accommodation for athletes and officials. Same thing.

It may have been foolish for Brisbane to bid for such a thing in the first place, but it's the organizers' fault for not getting any of our national channels to be willing to broadcast the event.

I don't know if this is related, but we have had a massive upheaval in TV in Australia recently.

1) Two of the main stations are financially struggling, and are imposing cut backs.

2) The FTA 24hr sports channel (One) has been changed. Would have been a likely candidate to screen any events, but was not getting enough views. Murdoch recently bought it, and killed its sports only focus. Still shows a lot of sport, but not as much as before.

3) The pay TV provider Foxtel (coincidently part owned by Murdoch) has been forced to pay a massive increase in what it pays for Australian Rules Football rights, and is expected to be made to do similar for Rugby League. Foxtel would have been a prime candidate for any broadcast, but with these increased out goings would be unlikely to want to pay for a broadcast which will generate minimal interest in Australia.

4) the govt owned ABC would also be a candidate, but we are in an phrase of govt budget cutbacks, and with little interest from the punters, the ABC would have most likely want to use it limited budget on more viable projects.

Agree, for Australia it was a risky bid due to minimal local interest, but with changes in the recent media landscape, this became even harder.

[Lord David]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

Have you been living in a cave, NZ has just held the Rugby World Cup, a far larger event than a figure skating world championships, it was successful, so I see know reason why a smaller event like figure skating couldn't be held in NZ.

I just just trying to make a comparison, if Auckland had the same event as Brisbane had, but couldn't fulfill it, then it would be the same end result.

[Kernowboy71]

Originally Posted by Lord David

New Zealand does have the 800 meter drop at Wanaka. Unlike Quebec, there's no stopping them from artificially heightening an existing slope, since no major ones run towards a river. Big investment would be had, but it is possible.

If artificial heightening and terraforming techniques greatly advance in the near future, Australia could theoretically host, with Canberra and the nearby Perisher Valley ski resorts.

As for sport specific facilities, outside of indoor arenas (which should be mixed temporary, permanent and post Olympic converted use), the Ski Jumps, Sliding Centre and Biathlon Course should easily serve as training facilities for Northern Hemisphere nations post Olympics as well as regular world cups and championships.

Let's compare some potential places:

Santiago, Chile
Pros: anchor city, capital of Chile, near ski resorts, multiple ski resorts of over 800m vertical, some existing venues, good transport infrastructure, time favorable to US audiences.
Cons: seasonal difference with Northern Hemisphere.

Queenstown, New Zealand
Pros: near some of NZ's best ski resorts, 1 somewhat nearby (50'sh km) ski resort in Wanaka of 800m drop.
Cons: limited physical area for development, limited transport infrastructure, should be anchored with a major city, seasonal difference with Northern Hemisphere.

Christchurch, New Zealand
Pros: anchor city, some existing venues, good transport infrastructure.
Cons: not near any ski resort of 800m drop (though could be developed near Mt Hutt), seasonal difference with Northern Hemisphere.

Canberra, Australia
Pros: anchor city, some existing venues, good transportation infrastructure.
Cons: no ski resort in Australia meets the minimum 800m drop (though one could be developed), seasonal difference with Northern Hemisphere, Canberra itself sees limited snow, therefore most if not all snow events would have to be based near the ski resorts.

The main problem is the seasonal differences, but unless someone from here bids, then we'll never know what a Southern Hemisphere Winter Olympics might be like (on paper at least).

Treble Cone DOES NOT have a vertical drop of 800m. It's vertical elevation is in fact about 840m BUT the actual skiable elevation is 710m,

I used to work with NZSki.com so have also worked at Mount Hutt where the total skiable workable drop is 690m.

The largest current vertical drop in New Zealand is in fact in the North Island.

Secondly of the NZ resorts, whilst Queenstown is IN THEORY 70km from Wanaka that is across the Cardronna Range - I have tried to drive that in a 4WD in winter and had to turn back. Using Route6 it is over 110km. Treble Cone is then another 25km from Wanaka, along metal roads at the end, and the route up to the ski station is one of the most dangerous winter roads in the world. And Jacques Rogge has said 150km between sites is far too far. There is no way a speedier route could be created

Christchurch-Mount Hutt might be better about 100km with two routes, one down Route1 and the other through Darfield though both would need significant upgrading.

The big problem that Mount Hutt faces is that not only must there be a drop, but Bernard Russi the FIS downhill observor must deem the mountain suitably challenging for the men's downhill. My recollection of Mount Hutt is that whilst they might be able to stretch to 800m the route would be insufficiently steep at the bottom of the course to meet this requirement. This is what killed the Quebec bid .... there was a plateauish area in the middle of their proposed course

Whatever the outcome it will be huge expensive both financially and maybe also environmentally.

[Kernowboy71]

Originally Posted by KiwiRob

There are many resorts which are more than capable of having 800m of vertical drop, Mt Hutt, Porter Heights, Turoa, Trebble Cone, to name a few, all they need is access; Mt Hutt does have a full down hill course, access is via snow cat, for an Olympics lifts would of course be built.

Sorry Rob but there is a difference between vertical elevation and vertical drop.

There reason why that additional elevation has not previously been used is because the topography lacks the financial benefits to make it financially worthwhile.

But Bernard Russi will look at the topography to see if extra height could allow for a suitably challenging downhill race. Quebec found the hill but Russi rejected it because the course would be too easy.

Having skied regularly at Treble Cone, I cannot see how they could add the additional drop, plus it is too far away from any sizeable population area to be included in a bid. It is 145km from Queenstown using Route6 as the Cardronna range road is often impassable even in 4WD.

Mount Hutt may just be big enough but having worked there for NZSki I fear the bottom of any course would be too shallow in terms of steepness.

Turoa has a drop of 720m and might be extendable to 800m but that is irrelevant .... Rogge has already rejected bids where Alpine events are over 150km from the other events ..... Auckland is 430km, Wellington 310km, Hamilton 300km away so Turoa could not be used.

Porter Heights cannot get to 800m - its base elevation is 1302m and max height 1995m - its current vertical is 620m but the most it could get to would be 693m.

I think a Winter Olympics in NZ - in Christchurch - would be great but I think the challenges to get there would be too great.

[DÁMASO]

Barcelona 2022 website

http://w1.bcn.cat/candidatura2022/en

[Jim856796]

I don't think Salt Lake City should even be bidding for a second winter Olympics too soon, especially for 2022. If another U.S. city bids for the Olympics, it may be either Denver or Reno (or probably both). Denver won the rights to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but had to pull out due to severe cost overruns and worries about environmental impact.

Next time Denver wins the hosting rights for a future Winter Olympics, they will refuse to back down for any reason. Their metropolitan area has since improved from the 1976 bid, two new sports facilities were constructed during the turn of the millennium to replace those that existed in 1976. A huge new airport and a light rail system opened in the mid-1990s.