Sion 2026 Bid Committee VP Says Cost Of Staging Games Would Be $2.4B

The cost of staging the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Sion, Switzerland, would be 2.4B Swiss francs ($2.4B), not 1.98B Swiss francs ($1.98B) as "often stated by the bid organizers," according to THE LOCAL. The figure of 1.98B Swiss francs is the operational budget "but does not account for the cost of bidding, infrastructure costs nor the bill for security during the Games." The total would be 2.4B Swiss francs, Sion 2026 Committee Financial Dir Bernard Rüeger said. Rüeger acknowledged "failings in communication over the budget" and vowed to be "more transparent" in the future. The cost of building an Olympic village is not included in the budget either, he added, but that "would be financed by a private company and rented out to Games organizers." Security during the Games would cost 300M Swiss francs ($300M), with an estimated 2,500 police officers per day needed over a three-month period (THE LOCAL, 10/26).