Olympics: Swiss Canton Rejects Funds to Mount 2026 Bid

Voters in the Swiss canton of Graubunden on Sunday rejected a loan that would have helped finance a bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The result effectively rules out an effort to host the Games by the eastern Switzerland region.

The cantonal government in December approved the proposed financing scheme worth 25 million Swiss francs ($25 million, 23.4 million euros).

The plan foresaw the Swiss Olympic committee, the federal government and the regional government each making 8 million Swiss francs available to support a bid, with locals chipping in an additional million.

Graubunden's Alpine resort town of St-Moritz, currently hosting the World Ski Championships, was home to the Winter Games previously in 1928 and 1948.

The now thwarted 2026 bid called for events to be shared in several places including St-Moritz and Davos, which also hosts the World Economic Forum gathering of political and business elite each year.

Sunday's referendum on the measure was part of Switzerland's direct democracy system that includes four votes per year on federal initiatives as well as local laws and institutions.

Switzerland's National Olympic Committee is due to announce its plans for a 2026 bid on March 7.

Graubunden’s decision to turn down bid funding clears the path for the southern city of Sion in Valais canton.

The Canadian city of Calgary has also been weighing a 2026 bid. It previously hosted the Winter Games in 1988.