Bach: Public support makes difference in bid for 2026 Winter Olympics

Public support was a decisive factor in the International Olympic Committee's vote to pick Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo as the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, IOC President Thomas Bach said.

Bach made the remarks after Milan/Cortina d'Ampezzo of Italy won the vote by 47-34 against Stockholm/Are from Sweden on Monday at the 134th IOC session.

"I guess that the difference was made by the gap in the public support, with 83 percent in Italy and 55 percent in Sweden. I could imagine that this, for many of my colleagues, may have made the difference," Bach told reporters after the vote.

The reluctance from Stockholm to fully back the bid was also considered a reason that the members chose the Italian candidacy.

"Public support often goes hand-in-hand with political support and this was maybe the reason why the city of Stockholm was not ready to sign the Host City Contract," the IOC chief said.

A senior IOC member who asked not to be named told Xinhua that it is "unacceptable" and would "put the IOC at risk" if a candidate city cannot secure full government guarantees.

Despite the voting results, Bach spoke highly of both candidates.

"It was a great race. A great race for both cities, and a great race for the Olympic Movement, because in fact, you have both cities who presented in an extraordinary way how to translate Olympic Agenda 2020 in an Olympic Games," he said.

"You saw a focus on sustainbility. You saw cost reduction. You saw great use of existing facilities. You saw the enthusiasm of the athletes."

It will be the third time for Italy to host the Winter Olympic Games. Cortina was the first Italian city to host the Games in 1956 and Turin staged the event in 2006.

In contrast, Sweden, a winter sports powerhouse, has now bid seven times for a Winter Olympics but has never won. Enditem