The Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) has finally shelved plans for the regions of Catalonia and Aragon to jointly bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
COE President Alejandro Blanco told journalists that no candidacy for 2030 would be presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He said: “We are not in a position to present an Olympic project.” The neighboring Pyrenees regions in north-eastern Spain could not have come to an agreement.
According to media reports, there were irreconcilable differences of opinion regarding the distribution of the various venues for the games. Blanco blamed politics for the failure of the application, which had been in preparation for a good two years. “As soon as politicians come into play, there is no agreement and no progress.” The regional government of Aragon, for example, has refused to respect a technical agreement that has already been reached. Spain wants to try other Olympic candidatures in the future, he emphasized.
The 26th Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place between February 8th and 24th, 2030. According to IOC President Thomas Bach, in addition to Spain, Japan, the USA, Argentina and Georgia have also expressed an interest in hosting the event. This is expected to be decided next year. The 25th Winter Games will take place from February 6th to 22nd, 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy).