By Gary Anderson

November 8 Stockholm has hosted an Olympic Games once before in 1912- Stockholm is optimistic that they will join the field to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics with a decision due next week. 


A spokesman for the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) told insidethegames they were "hopeful" a bid could be put together but that "no decision either way has been made yet".

But he then added: "We are hoping to make an official announcement by Tuesday (November 12) next week."

That is just two days before the November 14 deadline set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for cities to announce they are bidding.

Earlier this year, SOK claimed that there was popular support for a Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sweden.

But there appears to be less enthusiasm from the Swedish Government in launching a bid for 2022 after a number of failed bids in recent years.

SOK President Stefan Lindeberg says that Stockholm is ready to host 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic GamesSwedish Olympic Committee President Stefan Lindeberg has claimed that Stockholm is ready to host 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games


























Stockholm, which hosted the Summer Olympics in 1912, was a candidate for the 2004 Summer Olympics but lost out to Athens in the final round, while Winter Games bids from Gothenburg in 1984, Falun in 1988 and 1992, and Östersund in 1998 and 2002 all proved unsuccessful.

It led to a mood of resignation amongst Swedish Government officials that any future bids would be futile and a waste of money.

But, speaking to insidethegames in June, SOK President Stefan Lindeberg claimed he was confident that a Winter Games in Stockholm would prove a huge success.

He cited the example of Sochi 2014 which has built everything from scratch, whereas Stockholm already has good transport links, hotels and infrastructure, he claimed, as well as a number of quality venues, which would mean the costs of any bid would be greatly reduced.

"Stockholm will be of perfect size for the Winter Games offering top quality without extravagant extraordinary investments just for the Games," Lindeberg told insidethegames.

"Cost efficient and sustainable bringing sports and the Olympic spirit, also as a legacy, into the city landscape and the daily life of its people."

Lillehammer 1994 were the last Winter Games to be held in Scandinavia following on from Oslo in 1952Lillehammer 1994 were the last Winter Games to be held in Scandinavia following on from Oslo in 1952

























Should Stockholm go ahead with its 2022 bid, it will join Scandinavian neighbours Oslo, Almaty in Kazakhstan – the first city to announce its candidature in September – Ukrainian city Lviv and a joint bid from China's Beijing and Zhangjiakou as confirmed bids for the Games in 2022.

A joint bid from Slovakia and Poland, with Krakow as the focal point, was confirmed yesterday also, while a bid from Munich, who were unsuccessful in their attempts to land the 2018 Games is expected to be submitted following a referendum which takes place on Sunday (November 10).

The decision on who will host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games is due to be made at the 127th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur in July 2015.

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June 2013: Stockholm 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic bid on the horizon