Krakow's hopes of hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics "were dealt a fatal blow in a referendum over the weekend when a majority of the Polish city's residents voted against making a bid for the Games," according to Wojciech Zurawski of REUTERS. The proposal included plans to hold some events in neighboring Slovakia. It "was rejected by more than two thirds of those who voted on Sunday, leaving bid officials with little option other than to throw in the towel." Almost 70% of voters "were against the plan" that was seen as potentially bringing the region of Lesser Poland more than $6.6B in infrastructural investments, "including a long-awaited transport link with Zakopane, the capital city of the Polish Tatra mountains." Krakow's "overwhelming rejection of a bid means that the picturesque medieval town is likely to become the latest potential host to drop out of the troubled race." With Krakow's chances "essentially dead in the water," Ukraine's Lviv, China's Beijing, Norway's Oslo and Kazakhstan's Almaty "are the last remaining cities in contention for the hosting rights" (REUTERS, 5/26).
JOINT BID PLANNED FOR '24: In Copenhagen, Ray Weaver reported Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen would like to see the 2024 Summer Olympics "be held jointly" by Copenhagen and Hamburg. Jensen "made his pitch last week at a conference held by the Danish-German Chamber of Commerce." Jensen: “Cooperation between the two cities is the only way that democratic states like Germany and Denmark can pull off a mega-project like the Olympic Games.” Hamburg’s city government "recently commissioned a cost/risk study regarding hosting the games," after 65% of its citizens "expressed support for the idea in a referendum held earlier this month." Berlin "has also been mentioned as a possible contender to host the Games" (COPENHAGEN POST, 5/26).
