The Swiss government "has pledged to support a 2022 Winter Olympics bid of Davos and St. Mortiz" with CHF30M ($31.4M), according to the SI. The Swiss Federal Council also said that it will use public funds to cover up to CHF1B ($1.05B) of the Games' deficit if the bid is successful. Sports Minister Ueli Maurer said that the government is convinced that Winter Olympic Games "would be a great opportunity for Switzerland." He added that "it is not simply about sports, it is about proving to the world that a small country is capable of hosting Olympic Games." Switzerland has the chance to prove itself as a secure, open and welcoming country. Maurer said, "The Federal Council believes that this is a great opportunity for Switzerland to give a positive account of itself" (SPORT.ch, 9/5). However, the two cities will still need to get support from voters in a regional referendum before submitting a bid. St. Moritz last hosted the Olympics in '48. It also hosted the 1928 Winter Games. The host city for the 2022 Winter Games will be decided in '15 at the IOC session (IOC).
