Swiss Cantons Team Up To Vie For 2026 Winter Olympic Games

The Swiss cantons of Valais and Vaud "teamed up to launch a joint candidacy for the 2026 winter Olympics," according to THE LOCAL. The cantons, in south-western Switzerland, "announced the move at a press conference in Lausanne on Thursday under the banner 'The Swiss Made Winter Games 2026.'" As yet no host city within the two cantons "has been chosen as the focus of the candidacy, though both Lausanne, in Vaud, and Sion, in Valais, have separately expressed interest." The cantons "have plenty of spots to choose" from in Valais, including Zermatt, Verbier and Crans-Montana, while Vaud has Villars, Les Diablerets and Leysin. However the two cantons "are not the only Swiss regions" interested in hosting the 2026 Games. The Swiss capital Bern "has also thrown its hat in the ring, as will the canton of Graubünden, which includes the ski resorts of St Moritz and Davos- Kloster" (THE LOCAL, 5/26).