Oslo bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics
Encyclopedia
Oslo–Lillehammer 2018 was a proposed bid for Oslo
and Lillehammer
, Norway
, to host the 2018 Winter Olympics
. Along with Trondheim
and Tromsø bid, it was one of three options for the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
(NIF), who ultimately chose to not bid for the games. Oslo announced the bid in September 2006, and the official proposal report was published in February 2007.
Compared to the other Norwegian bids, Oslo–Lillehammer presented the best infrastructure, transport and accommodation. The bid called for using existing venues for Alpine, Nordic and freestyle skiing, snowboarding, curling and sliding sports, although new venues would need to be built for ice hockey and skating. Major existing venues which would be used included Holmenkollen National Arena
, Tryvann Vinterpark and Jordal Amfi
in Oslo, and Hafjell
, Kvitfjell
and Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track in the Lillehammer area. All venues would be accessible by rail; including most of the Oslo venues by the Oslo Metro. The main Olympic Village
would be built in Bjørvika
and the media center in Lohavn. The bids major downsides was the 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) distance between Oslo and Kvitfjell; critics stated that the much closer Norefjell
should instead have been chosen for the Alpine skiing. Political support for Oslo was lower than for Tromsø, as the authorities prioritized regional policies in their support for candidates.
in Oslo and the 1994 Games
in Lillehammer. Oslo has applied four times previously to host the games, in 1932, 1944, 1952 and 1968. A proposal was also made for Oslo to bid for 1980
, but the application was never sent. In 2002, the five municipalities that had hosted the 1994 Olympics stated their intent to apply for the 2014 Winter Olympics
. They hoped a new Olympics would stimulate the Oppland
and Hedmark
region, and focused on the reuse of the existing venues. At the same time, officials from Oslo also stated that they intended to bid for the same or later games.
Ahead of the bids for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tromsø launched a proposal. It was seen both as a possibility to develop Northern Norway, and a way to celebrate the bicentennial of the Constitution of Norway
. The proposal was rejected by the Bondevik's Second Cabinet, who stated that there should be more than 20 years between each time Norway hosted the Olympics. They were also concerned about the costs of the project. The opposition supported the Tromsø bid, stated it was important for regional development. Gerhard Heiberg
, Norway's representative in the International Olympic Committee
(IOC), described the project as unrealistic and that a better application would be needed to compete with bids such as Sochi's
. The application was finally dismissed by the NIF board in July 2005.
On 23 June 2006, the NIF board announced that they planned to apply for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and asked for bids from Norwegian cities wanting to host the games. Oslo city councilor Anette Wiig Bryn
announced on 25 August that Oslo planned to bid for the 2018 Olympics. It was the third city to announce it would apply to become the Norwegian applicant for the games, after both Tromsø and Trondheim had previously made announcements. The planning was given a municipal grant of 6 million Norwegian krone
(NOK). Oslo Mayor Per Ditlev-Simonsen
stated that the Oslo bid would include Norefjell rather than the Lillehammer venues. The Oslo and Lillehammer cooperation was announced on 13 September.
was completely rebuilt ahead of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011. It features the large ski jumping hill
Holmenkollbakken and the normal hill Midtstubakken
, along with a cross-country skiing stadium. The large hill and the stadium were both used during the 1952 Olympics. Cross-country sprint were planned located at Tøyen Park
. Biathlon
was planned located at Lillomarka
, where a multi-sport venue was planned built. The snowboard
and freestyle
events are planned split between Wyllerløypa, part of Tryvann Vinterpark, and Grefsenkleiva, part of Oslo Skisenter. Both are existing recreational areas for Alpine skiing and snowboard and within the city. Wyllerløypa was used during the 1952 Olympics for slalom.
Jordal Amfi
was the only existing ice rink proposed for the Olympics. It was built as an outdoor venue for ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics
. The venue would need a major upgrade to be suitable the 2018 Games, for which it was planned to host curling
. Valle Hovin
was at the time of the application an outdoor speed skating rink
. Independent of the Olympic application, plans exist to rebuilt it as an indoor venue. Oslo Podium was primarily planned as a national stadium for handball
, for which Norway several times has hosted world and European championships, and for which Oslo lacks a suitable venue. It was planned to be located at Hasle
and built independent of Oslo hosting the Winter Olympics, but the plans for the venue were canceled in 2009, after the Norwegian Handball Federation
had not made up their mind, and Oslo Municipality needed the lot for a school. The venue would have been owned by the federation. Two more new ice rinks were planned, at Stubberud and Mortensrud
. The former would feature ice hockey, while the latter would host figure skating and short track speed skating
.
Three venues would be located in the Lillehammer area; all three of these were used during the 1994 Winter Olympics. Hafjell
would have hosted the slalom
and giant slalom tournaments, while Kvitfjell
would feature downhill
and super-G. Both are regularly used in the Alpine Skiing World Cup
and Kvitfjell is part of the Club 5+. Kvitfjell would need a new downhill course. If IOC requirements changed so a single arena for all Alpine sports was needed, the technical disciplines could be moved from Hafjell to Kvitfjell. Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track, located at Hunderfossen
, would feature bobsleigh
, luge
and skeleton
. The track is the only in Northern Europe.
The main Olympic Village
would be located in Bjørvika
, on waterfront property in downtown Oslo. In addition, a smaller Olympic Village would be built in Hafjell. The Oslo village would have 3,000 rooms and 4,500 beds, while the Hafjell Village would have 700 rooms and 1,000 beds. As of 2007, the Oslo region has 10,500 hotel beds and the Lillehammer area 3,200 beds, most of which would be rented by the organizing committee. Additional accommodation capacity could be generated by using 50,000 beds in cabins and rental apartments in the Lillehammer area, 10,000 hotel beds in a distance of 50 kilometre from the venues, and the use of cruise ship
s docked at the Port of Oslo. The media center and international broadcasting center were to be located at Lohavn, with media accommodation being located at Lohavn and Filipstad
. All Oslo accommodation and media facilities are part of the Fjord City
project. Opening, closing and medal ceremonies in Oslo would be held at Rådhusplassen, a square in the city center. In Lillehammer, the medal ceremonies would have been located at Stortorget, the main square in the town.
The location of the venues was such that all sites in Oslo would be located on the Oslo Metro or the Oslo Tramway, and the Lillehammer venues would all be located on the Dovre Line. Athletes, officials and VIPs would be transported using buses and dedicated cars on closed-off roads. Oslo's public transport system transported at the time of the application 500,000 people per day, with large vacant capacity between the rush hours. Transport between Oslo and the Lillehammer area would be done using railway, as well as European Route E6
and National Road 4
In 2007, travel time by train from Oslo to Lillehammer was 125 minutes, to Hafjell and Hunderfossen 140 minutes, and to Kvitfjell 168 minutes. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
is located between Oslo and Lillehammer; the Airport Express Train
has a travel time of 19 minutes to Oslo Central Station, while the regional train uses 105 minutes to Lillehammer. Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Moss Airport, Rygge
can both be used as reserve airports.
The application states that Oslo plans to built the venues in places were they can be used for recreation after the games. Hafjell, Kvitfjell, Tryvann and Grefsen are privately owned, and for these, commercial operations will resume also after the Olympics. The placement of the venues is part of the municipality's strategy to decrease the differences between the East End and West End of Oslo
.
, which concluded that Oslo was the most suited, followed by Trondheim and then Tromsø, based on the same criteria that IOC uses to evaluate bids. The decision for a Norwegian applicant was taken by the NIF board on 30 March 2007. In the first round of voting, only Geir Kvillum
voted for Trondheim. In the following round, both Oslo and Tromsø received six votes, and President Odd-Roar Thorsen received the decisive vote. The bid for Tromsø was later discarded by NIF; three independent reports all concluded that the town was not suited to host the games, in particular because of lack of suitable transport, accommodation and post-Olympic use of venues.
One controversial part of the Oslo bid was the choice of Hafjell and Kvitfjell over Norefjell
for Alpine skiing. Norefjell was used for downhill during the 1952 Olympics, and is significantly closer to Oslo than Hafjell and Kvitfjell. Per Ditlev-Simonsen stated that he and the committee originally planned to bid with Norefjell, but that Gerhard Heiberg had recommended Oslo to instead use Hafjell and Kvitfjell. IOC President Jacques Rogge
later stated that with a distance of 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) between Oslo and the Alpine venues, it would be impossible to be selected. In a documentary made by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, it was stated that Heiberg was in favor of the Tromsø bid, and recommended Oslo to bid with Hafjell and Kvitfjell to reduce their chances of being selected national candidate.
Following the Nordic World Ski Champions held at Holmenkollen in 2011, the debate about Norway hosting the Olympic Games surfaced again. Martin Rimpi, project leader for Tromsø 2018, stated after the world championships that it was unlikely that Tromsø would be a future candidate. He also stated that if a high-speed railway was built between Oslo and Lillehammer, travel time between the towns would be short enough for IOC to accept a bid.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, to host the 2018 Winter Olympics
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, between 9 and 25 February 2018. The elected host city was announced on 6 July 2011 by the International Olympic Committee , after the...
. Along with Trondheim
Trondheim bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics
Trondheim 2018 was a proposed bid for Trondheim, Norway, to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Along with Oslo and Tromsø bid, it was one of three options for the Norwegian Olympic Committee, who ultimately chose to not bid for the games.-Plans:...
and Tromsø bid, it was one of three options for the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the umbrella organization for sport in Norway. It is the largest volunteering organization in Norway, with more than 2 million members, and 12000 sports clubs, in 19 region confederatons and 56 national federations...
(NIF), who ultimately chose to not bid for the games. Oslo announced the bid in September 2006, and the official proposal report was published in February 2007.
Compared to the other Norwegian bids, Oslo–Lillehammer presented the best infrastructure, transport and accommodation. The bid called for using existing venues for Alpine, Nordic and freestyle skiing, snowboarding, curling and sliding sports, although new venues would need to be built for ice hockey and skating. Major existing venues which would be used included Holmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena is a Nordic skiing and biathlon venue located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It consists of the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken, the normal hill Midtstubakken and a stadium for cross-country skiing and a shooting range for biathlon...
, Tryvann Vinterpark and Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi is an indoor sporting arena located in Oslo, Norway. The capacity of the arena is 4,450 and was opened in 1952. It is the home arena of the Vålerenga ice hockey team.-History:Jordal Amfi is one of Norway's most legendary sporting arenas...
in Oslo, and Hafjell
Hafjell
Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjell, a regular stop on the World Cup tour for men's speed events in March...
, Kvitfjell
Kvitfjell
Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black...
and Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track in the Lillehammer area. All venues would be accessible by rail; including most of the Oslo venues by the Oslo Metro. The main Olympic Village
Olympic Village
An Olympic Village is an accommodation centre built for an Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials, athletic trainers, and other staff. Since the Munich Massacre at the 1972...
would be built in Bjørvika
Bjørvika
Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akersness. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container...
and the media center in Lohavn. The bids major downsides was the 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) distance between Oslo and Kvitfjell; critics stated that the much closer Norefjell
Norefjell
Norefjell is a norwegian mountain range in the Scandes Mountains system. It stretches between the valleys Eggedal and Hallingdal in Norway...
should instead have been chosen for the Alpine skiing. Political support for Oslo was lower than for Tromsø, as the authorities prioritized regional policies in their support for candidates.
Background
Norway has hosted two Winter Olympics, the 1952 Games1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
in Oslo and the 1994 Games
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer. Oslo has applied four times previously to host the games, in 1932, 1944, 1952 and 1968. A proposal was also made for Oslo to bid for 1980
Bids for the 1980 Winter Olympics
The selection process for the 1980 Winter Olympics consisted of one bid, from Lake Placid, United States. It was selected at the 75th IOC Session in Vienna on 13 October 1974....
, but the application was never sent. In 2002, the five municipalities that had hosted the 1994 Olympics stated their intent to apply for the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
. They hoped a new Olympics would stimulate the Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
and Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
region, and focused on the reuse of the existing venues. At the same time, officials from Oslo also stated that they intended to bid for the same or later games.
Ahead of the bids for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tromsø launched a proposal. It was seen both as a possibility to develop Northern Norway, and a way to celebrate the bicentennial of the Constitution of Norway
Constitution of Norway
The Constitution of Norway was first adopted on May 16, 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll , then signed and dated May 17...
. The proposal was rejected by the Bondevik's Second Cabinet, who stated that there should be more than 20 years between each time Norway hosted the Olympics. They were also concerned about the costs of the project. The opposition supported the Tromsø bid, stated it was important for regional development. Gerhard Heiberg
Gerhard Heiberg
Jens Gerhard Heiberg is a Norwegian industrialist who was head of the Lillehammer Olympic Organising Committee and the Lillehammer Paralympic Organizing Committee and member of the International Olympic Committee....
, Norway's representative in the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC), described the project as unrealistic and that a better application would be needed to compete with bids such as Sochi's
Sochi bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics
Sochi 2014 was a successful bid by the Russian Olympic Committee to host the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. Sochi was one of seven applicants for the games, and one of three to be short-listed, along with Pyongchang, South Korea, and Salzburg, Austria. Sochi is a...
. The application was finally dismissed by the NIF board in July 2005.
On 23 June 2006, the NIF board announced that they planned to apply for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and asked for bids from Norwegian cities wanting to host the games. Oslo city councilor Anette Wiig Bryn
Anette Wiig Bryn
Anette Wiig Bryn is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party.In her younger days she was a member of the Young Conservatives.In 2004 she became city commissioner of business and culture in the city government of Oslo....
announced on 25 August that Oslo planned to bid for the 2018 Olympics. It was the third city to announce it would apply to become the Norwegian applicant for the games, after both Tromsø and Trondheim had previously made announcements. The planning was given a municipal grant of 6 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK). Oslo Mayor Per Ditlev-Simonsen
Per Ditlev-Simonsen
Per Ditlev-Simonsen is a Norwegian politician. He was the mayor of Oslo, representing the Conservative Party, from 1995 to 2007. He stepped down on 23 August 2007 following the Swiss bank-account scandal....
stated that the Oslo bid would include Norefjell rather than the Lillehammer venues. The Oslo and Lillehammer cooperation was announced on 13 September.
Venues and infrastructure
Holmenkollen National ArenaHolmenkollen National Arena
Holmenkollen National Arena is a Nordic skiing and biathlon venue located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It consists of the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken, the normal hill Midtstubakken and a stadium for cross-country skiing and a shooting range for biathlon...
was completely rebuilt ahead of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011. It features the large ski jumping hill
Ski jumping hill
A ski jumping hill is a sports venue used for ski jumping. They vary in size from temporary hand-made snow structures to permanent competition venues. At the top is an in-run where the jumper runs down to generate sufficient speed, before reaching the jump. The skier is then airborne until landing...
Holmenkollbakken and the normal hill Midtstubakken
Midtstubakken
Midtstubakken is a ski jumping hill which is part of the Holmenkollen National Arena in Oslo, Norway. It has a hill size of 106 metres, and a K-spot of 95 metres. The current hill dates from 2010, although the first hill at the area was built in 1927. The venue has a capacity for 15,000 spectators...
, along with a cross-country skiing stadium. The large hill and the stadium were both used during the 1952 Olympics. Cross-country sprint were planned located at Tøyen Park
Tøyen Park
Tøyen Park is a park in Oslo, Norway. It is located behind the Munch Museum and includes the University of Oslo Botanical Gardens. The botanical Gardens is home to both the Geological and Zoological museums.-Tøyen Manor:...
. Biathlon
Biathlon at the Winter Olympics
Biathlon debuted at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley with the men's 20 km individual event. At the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, the men's 4×7.5 km relay debuted, followed by the 10 km sprint event at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York...
was planned located at Lillomarka
Lillomarka
Lillomarka is a part of Oslomarka, lying to the North East of Oslo, in both Oslo and Nittedal municipalities.- Location :Lillomarka is bordered by Maridalen in the West, Nittedal and Gjelleråsen with Gjelleråsmarka in the east, the built up areas of the suburbs Bjerke and Grorud in the south and...
, where a multi-sport venue was planned built. The snowboard
Snowboarding at the Winter Olympics
Snowboarding is a sport that has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Snowboarding was one of five new sports or disciplines added to the Winter Olympic program between 1992 and 2002, and was the only one not to have been a previous medal or...
and freestyle
Freestyle skiing at the Winter Olympics
Freestyle skiing has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville. It was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics, with moguls, aerials, and ballet events. Moguls became an official medal sport at the 1992 games, while aerials and ballet were...
events are planned split between Wyllerløypa, part of Tryvann Vinterpark, and Grefsenkleiva, part of Oslo Skisenter. Both are existing recreational areas for Alpine skiing and snowboard and within the city. Wyllerløypa was used during the 1952 Olympics for slalom.
Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi
Jordal Amfi is an indoor sporting arena located in Oslo, Norway. The capacity of the arena is 4,450 and was opened in 1952. It is the home arena of the Vålerenga ice hockey team.-History:Jordal Amfi is one of Norway's most legendary sporting arenas...
was the only existing ice rink proposed for the Olympics. It was built as an outdoor venue for ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics
The Ice hockey medalists at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway. Games were mainly played at the Jordal Amfi Arena, as well as the stadiums at Dælenenga, Kadettangen, Marienlyst and Lillestrøm...
. The venue would need a major upgrade to be suitable the 2018 Games, for which it was planned to host curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
. Valle Hovin
Valle Hovin
Valle Hovin is both a bandy and speed skating rink in cold weather, and an outdoor stadium for concerts in warm weather, in Oslo, Norway.The Bandy World Championships has been held here....
was at the time of the application an outdoor speed skating rink
Speed skating rink
A speed skating rink is an ice rink in which a speed skating competition is held.-The rink:...
. Independent of the Olympic application, plans exist to rebuilt it as an indoor venue. Oslo Podium was primarily planned as a national stadium for handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, for which Norway several times has hosted world and European championships, and for which Oslo lacks a suitable venue. It was planned to be located at Hasle
Hasle
-Switzerland:*Hasle, Lucerne in the canton of Lucerne*Hasle bei Burgdorf in the canton of Bern...
and built independent of Oslo hosting the Winter Olympics, but the plans for the venue were canceled in 2009, after the Norwegian Handball Federation
Norwegian Handball Federation
The Norwegian Handball Federation is the national handball association in Norway.The Norwegian Handball Federation was founded in 1937, and is a member of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports , the European Handball Federation and the International Handball Federation. Its headquarters are in Oslo...
had not made up their mind, and Oslo Municipality needed the lot for a school. The venue would have been owned by the federation. Two more new ice rinks were planned, at Stubberud and Mortensrud
Mortensrud
Mortensrud is a neighborhood in the borough of Søndre Nordstrand, in Oslo, Norway. The area has two primary schools, Mortensrud and Stenbråten, and a lower secondary school, Lofsrud. The area is served by the rapid transit station Mortensrud....
. The former would feature ice hockey, while the latter would host figure skating and short track speed skating
Short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics
Short track speed skating has been a contest at the Winter Olympics since the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. Prior to that, it was a demonstration sport at the 1988 games. The results from the 1988 demonstration competition is not included in the official Olympic statistics...
.
Three venues would be located in the Lillehammer area; all three of these were used during the 1994 Winter Olympics. Hafjell
Hafjell
Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjell, a regular stop on the World Cup tour for men's speed events in March...
would have hosted the slalom
Slalom
To slalom is to zigzag between obstacles. It can refer to:Sports:*Alpine Slalom skiing*Whitewater slalom/kayaking*Freestyle slalom skating*Slalom skateboarding*Slalom water skiing*Slalom ice skating*Slalom windsurfing...
and giant slalom tournaments, while Kvitfjell
Kvitfjell
Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black...
would feature downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
and super-G. Both are regularly used in the Alpine Skiing World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
and Kvitfjell is part of the Club 5+. Kvitfjell would need a new downhill course. If IOC requirements changed so a single arena for all Alpine sports was needed, the technical disciplines could be moved from Hafjell to Kvitfjell. Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track, located at Hunderfossen
Hunderfossen
Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track is a bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton in Hunderfossen, Lillehammer, Norway. It was built in 1992 and hosted the bobsleigh and luge competitions for the 1994 Winter Olympics...
, would feature bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
, luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
and skeleton
Skeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
. The track is the only in Northern Europe.
The main Olympic Village
Olympic Village
An Olympic Village is an accommodation centre built for an Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials, athletic trainers, and other staff. Since the Munich Massacre at the 1972...
would be located in Bjørvika
Bjørvika
Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akersness. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container...
, on waterfront property in downtown Oslo. In addition, a smaller Olympic Village would be built in Hafjell. The Oslo village would have 3,000 rooms and 4,500 beds, while the Hafjell Village would have 700 rooms and 1,000 beds. As of 2007, the Oslo region has 10,500 hotel beds and the Lillehammer area 3,200 beds, most of which would be rented by the organizing committee. Additional accommodation capacity could be generated by using 50,000 beds in cabins and rental apartments in the Lillehammer area, 10,000 hotel beds in a distance of 50 kilometre from the venues, and the use of cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s docked at the Port of Oslo. The media center and international broadcasting center were to be located at Lohavn, with media accommodation being located at Lohavn and Filipstad
Filipstad
Filipstad is a locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 6,177 inhabitants in 2005.Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Duke Carl Philip .After a major fire destroyed forest and town in 1694, Filipstad...
. All Oslo accommodation and media facilities are part of the Fjord City
Fjord City
The Fjord City is a urban renewal project for the waterfront part of the center of Oslo, Norway. The first redevelopment was at Aker Brygge during the 1980s. Bjørvika and Tjuvholmen followed up during the 2000s, while the remaining parts of the Port of Oslo will be developed in the 2010s. The port...
project. Opening, closing and medal ceremonies in Oslo would be held at Rådhusplassen, a square in the city center. In Lillehammer, the medal ceremonies would have been located at Stortorget, the main square in the town.
| Venue | Sports | Status | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holmenkollen National Arena Holmenkollen National Arena Holmenkollen National Arena is a Nordic skiing and biathlon venue located at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. It consists of the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken, the normal hill Midtstubakken and a stadium for cross-country skiing and a shooting range for biathlon... |
Nordic skiing | Existing | 50,000 |
| Lillomarka Lillomarka Lillomarka is a part of Oslomarka, lying to the North East of Oslo, in both Oslo and Nittedal municipalities.- Location :Lillomarka is bordered by Maridalen in the West, Nittedal and Gjelleråsen with Gjelleråsmarka in the east, the built up areas of the suburbs Bjerke and Grorud in the south and... |
Biathlon | New | 40,000 |
| Grefsenkleiva Grefsenåsen Grefsenåsen is a hill in Lillomarka in Oslo, Norway. The height is 377 meter.The view from the top is magnificent, and the hill has for a long time been a popular resort for day-trippers living in Oslo... |
Freestyle, snowboard | New | 14,000 |
| Wyllerløypa | Freestyle, snowboard | Existing | 14,000 |
| Valle Hovin Valle Hovin Valle Hovin is both a bandy and speed skating rink in cold weather, and an outdoor stadium for concerts in warm weather, in Oslo, Norway.The Bandy World Championships has been held here.... |
Speed skating | New | 10,000 |
| Oslo Podium | Ice hockey | New | 10,000 |
| Stubberud | Ice hockey | New | 8,000 |
| Mortensrud | Figure skating, short track speed skating | New | 12,000 |
| Tøyen Park Tøyen Park Tøyen Park is a park in Oslo, Norway. It is located behind the Munch Museum and includes the University of Oslo Botanical Gardens. The botanical Gardens is home to both the Geological and Zoological museums.-Tøyen Manor:... |
Cross-country spring | Temporary | 40,000 |
| Jordal Amfi Jordal Amfi Jordal Amfi is an indoor sporting arena located in Oslo, Norway. The capacity of the arena is 4,450 and was opened in 1952. It is the home arena of the Vålerenga ice hockey team.-History:Jordal Amfi is one of Norway's most legendary sporting arenas... |
Curling | Existing | 4,000 |
| Rådhusplassen | Ceremonies | Existing | 30,000 |
| Stortorget (Lillehammer) | Ceremonies | Temporary | — |
| Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track | Bobsleigh, luge, skeleton | Existing | 15,000 |
| Hafjell Hafjell Hafjell is a village and a ski resort in Norway, in the Øyer municipality in the county of Oppland.Hafjell hosted the alpine skiing technical events at the 1994 Winter Olympics; the speed events were held at Kvitfjell, a regular stop on the World Cup tour for men's speed events in March... |
Alpine skiing | Existing | 35,000 |
| Kvitfjell Kvitfjell Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black... |
Alpine skiing | Existing | 40,000 |
The location of the venues was such that all sites in Oslo would be located on the Oslo Metro or the Oslo Tramway, and the Lillehammer venues would all be located on the Dovre Line. Athletes, officials and VIPs would be transported using buses and dedicated cars on closed-off roads. Oslo's public transport system transported at the time of the application 500,000 people per day, with large vacant capacity between the rush hours. Transport between Oslo and the Lillehammer area would be done using railway, as well as European Route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
and National Road 4
Norwegian National Road 4
Riksvei 4 is a national road which is the main route north from Oslo, Norway. The road runs through Nittedal, Hadeland and Toten to Mjøsa....
In 2007, travel time by train from Oslo to Lillehammer was 125 minutes, to Hafjell and Hunderfossen 140 minutes, and to Kvitfjell 168 minutes. Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
is located between Oslo and Lillehammer; the Airport Express Train
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...
has a travel time of 19 minutes to Oslo Central Station, while the regional train uses 105 minutes to Lillehammer. Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge is an international airport serving Moss, Oslo and Eastern Norway, located in Rygge. It is both a regional airport for Østfold as well as an airport for low-cost airlines. The airport is located outside Moss and outside Oslo and is owned and operated by the private company...
can both be used as reserve airports.
The application states that Oslo plans to built the venues in places were they can be used for recreation after the games. Hafjell, Kvitfjell, Tryvann and Grefsen are privately owned, and for these, commercial operations will resume also after the Olympics. The placement of the venues is part of the municipality's strategy to decrease the differences between the East End and West End of Oslo
East End and West End of Oslo
The East End and West End are used as names for the two parts of Oslo, Norway, formed by the economic and social separation line that has historically passed along the street Uelands gate...
.
Evaluation and outcome
The Oslo bid was one of three submitted to NIF, along with Trondheim and Tromsø. The three bids were evaluated by a committee led by Odd MartinsenOdd Martinsen
Odd Martinsen was a Norwegian cross country skier who competed during the 1960s and 1970's. He won three medals at the Winter Olympics, a gold in the 4 x 10 km relay , and silvers in the 30 km and the 4 x 10 km relay...
, which concluded that Oslo was the most suited, followed by Trondheim and then Tromsø, based on the same criteria that IOC uses to evaluate bids. The decision for a Norwegian applicant was taken by the NIF board on 30 March 2007. In the first round of voting, only Geir Kvillum
Geir Kvillum
Geir Kvillum is a Norwegian sprint canoer who competed in the early to mid 1980s. He won a silver medal in the K-4 10000 m at the 1983 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Tampere....
voted for Trondheim. In the following round, both Oslo and Tromsø received six votes, and President Odd-Roar Thorsen received the decisive vote. The bid for Tromsø was later discarded by NIF; three independent reports all concluded that the town was not suited to host the games, in particular because of lack of suitable transport, accommodation and post-Olympic use of venues.
| City | Round 1 | Round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tromsø | 6 | 6 |
| Oslo | 5 | 6 |
| Trondheim | 1 | — |
One controversial part of the Oslo bid was the choice of Hafjell and Kvitfjell over Norefjell
Norefjell
Norefjell is a norwegian mountain range in the Scandes Mountains system. It stretches between the valleys Eggedal and Hallingdal in Norway...
for Alpine skiing. Norefjell was used for downhill during the 1952 Olympics, and is significantly closer to Oslo than Hafjell and Kvitfjell. Per Ditlev-Simonsen stated that he and the committee originally planned to bid with Norefjell, but that Gerhard Heiberg had recommended Oslo to instead use Hafjell and Kvitfjell. IOC President Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge, Count Rogge , is a Belgian sports bureaucrat. He is the eighth and current President of the International Olympic Committee .-Life and career:...
later stated that with a distance of 240 kilometres (149.1 mi) between Oslo and the Alpine venues, it would be impossible to be selected. In a documentary made by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, it was stated that Heiberg was in favor of the Tromsø bid, and recommended Oslo to bid with Hafjell and Kvitfjell to reduce their chances of being selected national candidate.
Following the Nordic World Ski Champions held at Holmenkollen in 2011, the debate about Norway hosting the Olympic Games surfaced again. Martin Rimpi, project leader for Tromsø 2018, stated after the world championships that it was unlikely that Tromsø would be a future candidate. He also stated that if a high-speed railway was built between Oslo and Lillehammer, travel time between the towns would be short enough for IOC to accept a bid.