Norwegians Say "Nei" to 2022 Winter Olympics, Drop Out of Running

The most counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Another day, another city drops its bid for the 2022 Olympic Games.

Early Wednesday, the Norwegian government decided against offering financial backing for a dawdling Olympic campaign opposed by a majority its citizens. Supporters of Oslo 2022, their meager hopes up in flames, subsequently dropped their bid.

Oslo becomes the fourth city to exit the race, leaving Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan as the final two contenders. Krakow, Stockholm and Lviv, Ukraine had also previously dropped bids. In Krakow’s case, the bid was shot down via voter referendum in May. Earlier referendums dashed any hope of Switzerland or Germany playing host in 2022.

According to Barry Petchesky over at Deadspin, each municipality to drop out “blamed the rising cost and invisible benefits of hosting the Olympics.” The word “invisible” implies that unseen benefits exist; Petchesky’s point would probably have been better served with the word “non-existent.” Just ask the citizens of Athens, Sarajevo, and Sochi.

Petchesky points out that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had also submitted a pretty ludicrous set of demands for the Oslo bid, “which included a cocktail reception with Norway’s king, with the tab on either the royal family or the Norwegian Olympic Committee.” Take a look at the Deadspin link below for the whole outrageous list.

The 2018 games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, followed by the 2020 Summer games in Tokyo. If Beijing or Almaty are indeed awarded the 2022 games, it would be the first time since 1992* that all three Olympic games during a six-year span will be held in the same continent. IOC voters will choose the 2022 host city in July, 2015.

Looking toward 2026, it’s difficult to imagine any city putting up with the IOC’s ridiculous demands in order to throw a lavish event that won’t leave any positive lasting effects.

*This was the final year both the summer and winter Olympics were held in the same year.