Bids for the 2006 Winter Olympics

Bids for the
2006 Winter Olympics

Overview
XX Olympic Winter Games
Turin Sion, Switzerland · Helsinki · Klagenfurt · Poprad-Tatry · Zakopane
Details
Committee	IOC
Election venue	Seoul 109th IOC Session
Map
Location of the bidding cities
Important dates
Shortlist	June 19, 1999
Decision	June 19, 1999
Decision
Winner	Turin (53 votes)
Runner-up	Sion, Switzerland (36 votes)

At the closing date of the receipt of applications to host 2006 Winter Olympics (formally known as XX Olympic Winter Games) on February 1, 1998, six cities had formally presented their candidatures to the IOC. The deadline for the recepit of candidature files was set at 1s September 1998. The Evaluation Commission proceeded with its visits to the six candidate cities in October and November 1998.^[1]

In the wake of the Salt Lake City bid scandal, a new bidding procedure was instituted in 1999 to elect the 2006 Winter Olympics host city. After the six candidates cities made their final presentations before the members of the International Olympic Committee, during its 108th Session in Seoul, a new body called "Selection College" was tasked with selecting two "finalist cities" that would be subjected to the members' voting, in order to determine the host city.^{[2] [3]}

Turin's bid ended up defeating Sion by 53 votes to 36. The other four non-shortlisted candidate cities that made presentations to the IOC were Helsinki, Klagenfurt, Poprad-Tatry and Zakopane.

The selection of Turin over Sion came as a surprise, since Sion was the overwhelming favorite in part because the IOC is based in Switzerland.^[4] Media speculation was that the choice of Turin was due to the IOC's desire to retaliate against Switzerland for the whistleblower role played by IOC member Marc Hodler in the revelation of the 2002 corruption scandal.^[5]

Final selection

2006 Host City Election – ballot results
City	Country (NOC)	Round 1
Turin	Italy	53
Sion	Switzerland	36
Helsinki	Finland	—
Klagenfurt	Austria	—
Poprad-Tatry	Slovakia	—
Zakopane	Poland	—

Bidding cities

Logo	City	Country	National Olympic Committee
	Helsinki	Finland	Finnish Olympic Committee
	Klagenfurt	Austria	Austrian Olympic Committee
	Poprad	Slovakia	Slovak Olympic Committee
	Sion	Switzerland	Swiss Olympic Association
	Turin	Italy	Italian Olympic Committee
	Zakopane	Poland	Polish Olympic Committee

References

1. "Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2014-03-29., p.7-8
2. http://www.canoe.ca/SlamOlympicScandalArchive/jun18_oly.html
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/373400.stm
4. "Olympic corruption whistle-blower Hodler dies". USA Today. October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2007.
5. "Italian city prepares for next Winter Olympics". Associated Press/ESPN. February 24, 2002. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2007.