Monday, October 06, 2008

Tromsø’s application

withdrawn



The local sports councils said no. The individual sporting organizations were against it. The advice the Norwegian sports governing body received was virtually unanimous. On Monday the head of the governing body, Tove Paule, announced that Tromsø’s application Winter Olympics in 2018 would be withdrawn.

Tove Paule, the head the Norwegian sports governing body, announced Tromsø's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics would cost too much.

PHOTO: TERJE BENDIKSBY
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"It’s going to cost too much," says Sven Even Maamoen, spokesman for the regional sporting organizations, to daily newspaper Aftenposten. He used the weekend to confer with sports leaders around the country, wanting to know where they stood on Tromsø’s application after the recent update on what the games would cost.

The answers he got did not favour Tromsø's bid. Only the representatives from Norway’s three most northerly counties were still enthusiastic.

The individual sports organizations were also unable to continue to support the application.

Many outsiders tried to influence the outcome.

Transport Minister and head of the Centre party, Liv Signe Navarsete, wanted the decision postponed. The Centre Party strongly supports taking projects to Norway’s less urban regions.

One of the local bishops, Per-Kristian Kjølaas, appealed directly to Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, asking him to intercede. The bishop didn’t think that the time is ripe for making a decision.

Aftenposten English Web Desk
Sven Goll
Kurt Haugli
Arild Sandven


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