Finnish Olympic Games Report: Agenda 2020 gives smaller countries a chance to bid and host the Olympic and Paralympic Games 

Finnish Olympic Committee has published a report concerning bidding and organizing the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Finland. The report was assigned by the Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport, Mr. Sampo Terho. 

The report investigates the possibilities of bidding and organizing Olympic and Paralympic Games according to the guidelines of International Olympic Committee’s Agenda 2020. The report evaluates the criteria, conditions and economics related to hosting the games in the future. The findings indicate that thanks to Agenda 2020 even smaller countries now have a chance to bid and host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Mr. Mikko Salonen, CEO and Secretary General of the Finnish Olympic Committee, says that the report is an important tool for discussing the possibility of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Finland. 

– Our task is to keep the discussion alive and examine the possibility of hosting the Games in Finland. The report brings facts and detailed analysis to this discussion.  

Four key conclusions 

The report lists four key conclusions: 1) Hosting the Winter Games in Finland is possible under certain conditions. 2) Hosting the Summer Games in Finland is not possible under current criteria and conditions. 3) The economics of the Games should always be discussed in three categories: OGOC, non-OGOC and other investments budget. 4) The benefits of hosting the Games impact the society at large. 

- The report tells us, that we should do further research with the idea of bidding and hosting the Winter Games. However, before we do so, we need to see the outcome of the Swedish bid for the 2026 Winter Games, Mikko Salonen says.   

– Unfortunately, the current criteria and conditions do not allow us to consider bidding the Summer Games. The biggest challenges are related to the size of the Games economics, the required number of soccer stadiums, and the massive needs in securing the Games through national police and other forces.  

Mikko Salonen recognizes that the public discussion around the Games is often very emotional and usually related to the economics. 

– The costs of the Games are not always understood correctly. As the report indicates, the economics of the Games should always be discussed in three distinct categories: OGOC, non-OGOC and other investments. Interestingly, the bids for hosting the 2026 Winter Games show, that the OGOC budget can be formed completely without taxpayer money, Salonen says.   

– Furthermore, the report indicates how the benefits of the Games reach far beyond the finances, and impact wide areas of the society, not only sports. This being the case, the bidding and hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games should always be considered as a joint venture throughout the society, Salonen concludes.  

More information: Finnish Olympic Committee, CEO and General Secretary Mikko Salonen, +358 40 5410 295, mikko.salonen@olympiakomitea.fi.     

Link to the report