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NEWS > SPORTS > IOC CONSIDERING BID FROM HAITI FOR 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS
IOC CONSIDERING BID FROM HAITI FOR 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS
February 2 2010
Lausanne, Switzerland – Since the modern Olympics began in 1896 they have stood as the one enduring symbol of peace and cooperation between the various nations of the world. There have been controversies that threatened that peace – incidents such
as the terrorist killings at the 1972 Munich games or the duelling boycotts in 1980 and 1984 – all in all the Olympics have served as the one venue in which all differences can be put aside and nations can participate in friendly competition.
Despite the relative neutrality of the Games occasionally the IOC has made very distinct political statements in their selection of host cities. Choices such as Moscow in 1980 and Sarajevo in 1984 showed a desire to unify the east and the west. The selection of Seoul for the 1988 summer games was seen by many as an effort to rally support for a reunification of the Korean peninsula. 2008’s choice of Beijing was both criticized and lauded for its political overtones. Now on the eve of the Vancouver games the IOC is considering yet another bold and markedly political move, allowing Port-au-Prince the opportunity to submit a bid for the 2018 winter games. In the wake of the devastating earthquake that ravaged that city, and the amount of snow being trucked into Vancouver for the upcoming games, IOC officials see the bid as a real possibility that could forever change the fate of Haiti and the Olympic games.
“A few years ago no one would have even remotely have considered such a thing. Haiti
is more than temperate, it’s almost on the Equator and so holding a winter games there would have seemed ridiculous. With global warming though, and seeing what Vancouver is going through it’s clear that no one is going to be guaranteed snow and so they might as well go with the place they most want,” said an IOC insider. “Because of the total poverty in Haiti even before the quake it would have been an odd choice even in the best of time, but with diminishing interest in the games and a ton of attention still on the earthquake many on the committee feel that their interests are one in the same and that this could be a match made in heaven.”
It’s not clear how Haiti would be able to pay for the games and accompanying facilities but officials have for years been trying to bring costs down, something that would be inevitable in Port-au-Prince.
“Obviously they are going to have to make some improvements. There is rubble all over the place and buildings collapsed on the streets but there are many areas that are already primed for development and the IOC is not ignorant of that fact,” continued the insider. “I mean look at those huge mounds of dirt and junk just outside the city. They would be perfect for moguls. Obviously, decomposition will reduce the height over the next few years, but it is a start and puts them in the best position of any tropical country in the region.”
With many bodies still uncovered, it’s believed those mounds will only continue to grow.
“The cost of bringing all that snow into the country and somehow maintaining will be 
enormous but if they can figure out a way to get past that little obstacle they might be onto something. In the very near future we might be seeing Winter Games in countries no one ever considered. Can you imagine the games in Namibia, or cross country skiing through the streets of Mumbai? The games will truly be global then,” said Scrape TV Sports analyst Mark Marvins. “That has always been on the obstacles facing the Olympics. Some countries just aren’t suited to certain types of sports. Now if they can figure out a way to put the summer games in Siberia or Nunavut than they will really be onto something.”
Greenland failed in its bid for the 2008 summer games.
Alexi Orton, Sports Correspondent
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