Too early with Olympic Games in Norway in 2026

The former sports president, Børre Rognlien (72), believes it is too early for a Norwegian application process for a possible winter Olympic Games in 2026.

Rognlien, who presented his book “I was in the room” on Tuesday, served as sports president from 2011 to 2015 and was central in the process which eventually ended with no application from Oslo for the Winter Olympics in 2022.

The championship went to Beijing

The fact that Telemark wishes to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 was released on Monday.

– You suggest that it is too early for another Norwegian process in view of an Olympics Games application for 2026?

– That iss my personal opinion, but I’m not going to get involved.

– Why should Norway not apply for the Winter Olympics in 2026?

– There is a big fight in Norway about geographical locations, be it hospitals, the Olympics or whatever. What we tried to avoid before the Olympics in 2022 was that this was a process that did not start with some municipality or county starting it, but that was initiated by the sports community itself, says Rognlien to NTB.

Settlement

He described the process as follows:

– It was the seven Winter Olympic Unions that stated that they wanted the Olympics and where they needed facilities. A process that starts with city or municipal struggles does not seem to be possible unless the Conservatives and Labour Party agree. As sports president Tom Tvedt told TV on Monday, sports will not tolerate more rounds of bickering for which they are responsible. Nor does Norway tolerate it. It’s nice that the interest in the Olympics is great, but I totally agree that the process must start with a political settlement.

Seven of the book’s chapters are devoted to the process of the Oslo Olympic Games in 2022. There are several explanations from Rogaland about why the project was stranded and ended without an application. A national meeting in the Progress Party and a referendum that sports were not willing to hold is among them.

Natural

– You also say that it is natural for Sweden to be asked first if they want to be an applicant before Norway makes a decision?

– Yes, there have been not much attention around that issue, but we asked the Swedes in 2011, and there is no less reason to ask the Swedes this time around. It will be a good and also cheap solution for Norwegian sports if it were to be winter Olympics held in Sweden.

Rognlien has a long sporting life to report about. He has been a trustee for 52 years and even 30 years in politics. In the book he writes, among other things, that he was asked to become the Conservatives city council in Oslo, but that he ended up saying no.