Editing Winter Olympic Games (section)

===Host city legacy===
About eight years before the Winter Olympics, the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] invites National Olympic Committees to submit bids to host the games.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Essex * |first=Stephen |last2=Chalkley |first2=Brian |date=April 2004 |title=Mega‐sporting events in urban and regional policy: a history of the Winter Olympics |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0266543042000192475 |journal=Planning Perspectives |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=201–204 |doi=10.1080/0266543042000192475 |issn=0266-5433}}</ref> According to the IOC, the host city for the Winter Olympics is responsible for "...establishing functions and services for all aspects of the Games, such as sports planning, venues, finance, technology, accommodation, catering, media services, etc., as well as operations during the Games".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Factsheets/Roles-and-responsabilities-during-the-Olympic-Games.pdf|title=Factsheet - Roles and Responsibilities during the Olympic Games|pages=4–5|date=13 October 2021|access-date=31 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723212929/https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Factsheets/Roles-and-responsabilities-during-the-Olympic-Games.pdf|archive-date=23 July 2021|url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the cost of hosting the Games, most host cities never realise a profit on their investment.<ref name=riskreward>{{cite news|title=Olympic Caveat:Host cities risk debt, scandal|last=Berkes|first=Howard|series=[[Morning Edition]]|publisher=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113351145|date=1 October 2009|access-date=23 August 2010}}</ref> For example, the [[2006 Winter Olympics]] in [[Turin]], Italy, cost $3.6&nbsp;billion to host. By comparison, the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano (city)|Nagano]], Japan, cost $12.5&nbsp;billion.<ref name=olympiceffect>{{cite news|title=The Olympic Effect|last=Payne|first=Bob|website=[[MSNBC]]|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26042517/|date=6 August 2008|access-date=23 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111112010111/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26042517/|archive-date=12 November 2011}}</ref> The organisers of the Nagano Games claimed that the cost of extending the [[Shinkansen|bullet train]] service from Tokyo to Nagano was responsible for the large price tag.<ref name=olympiceffect/>

The organising committee had hoped that the exposure gained from hosting the Winter Olympics, and the improved access to Nagano from Tokyo, would benefit the local economy for years afterwards. In fact, Nagano's economy did experience a post-Olympic boom for a year or two, but the long-term effects have not materialised as anticipated.<ref name=olympiceffect/> The likelihood of heavy debt is a deterrent to prospective host cities, as well as the prospect of unused sports venues and infrastructure saddling the local community with upkeep costs with no appreciable post-Olympic value.<ref>{{cite web|title=The money pit that is hosting Olympic Games|last=Koba|first=Mark|website=[[CNBC]]|date=11 February 2010|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ys-cnbcolyhost021110|access-date=24 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204190846/http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ys-cnbcolyhost021110|archive-date=4 December 2010}}</ref>

The Winter Olympics has the added problem of the alpine events requiring a mountain location; the men's downhill needs an 800-metre altitude difference along a suitable course. As this is a focal event that is central to the Games, the IOC has previously not agreed to it taking place a long way from the main host city,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/olympics/its-looking-downhill-for-quebecs-winter-games-bid|title=It's looking downhill for Quebec's Olympic bid|date=13 December 2010|first=Marianne|last=White|newspaper=[[National Post]]|location=[[Toronto]]|access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> in contrast to the Summer Games, where sailing and horse sports have taken place more than {{convert|1000|km}} away. The requirement for a mountain location also means that venues such as hockey arenas often have to be built in sparsely populated areas with little future need for a large arena and for the hotels and infrastructure needed for all Olympic visitors. Due to cost issues, fewer and fewer cities are willing to host. Both the [[2006 Winter Olympics|Torino 2006]] and [[2010 Winter Olympics|Vancouver 2010]] Games, which were hosted in countries where large cities are located close to suitable mountain regions, had lower costs since more venues, hotels and transport infrastructure already existed. In contrast, the [[2014 Winter Olympics|Sochi 2014]] games had large costs as most installations had to be built.

The IOC has tried to mitigate these concerns. Firstly, it has agreed to fund part of the host city's budget.<ref>Preuss (2004), p. 277</ref> Secondly, the qualifying host countries are limited to those that have the resources and infrastructure to successfully host an Olympic Games without negatively impacting their region or nation; this rules out a large portion of the developing world.<ref>Preuss (2004), p. 284</ref> Finally, any prospective host city is required to add a "legacy plan" to their proposal, with a view to the long-term economic and environmental impact that hosting the Olympics will have.<ref name=legacyplan>{{cite news|title=Jacques Rogge: Vancouver's Winter Olympic legacy can last for 60 years|last=Rogge|first=Jacques|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/winter-olympics/7215802/Jacques-Rogge-Vancouvers-Winter-Olympic-legacy-can-last-for-60-years.html|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/winter-olympics/7215802/Jacques-Rogge-Vancouvers-Winter-Olympic-legacy-can-last-for-60-years.html|archive-date=10 January 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|date=12 February 2010|access-date=23 August 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Beginning with the [[2022 Winter Olympics|2022 Winter Games]], the IOC is allowing a longer distance between the alpine events and other events. The [[Oslo bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics|Oslo bid]] had {{convert|220|km}} to the [[Kvitfjell]] downhill arena, while eventual host Beijing had venues 220&nbsp;km away from the city as well. For the 2026 Winter Games, [[Stockholm–Åre bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics|Stockholm's unsuccessful bid]] proposed to hold the alpine event in [[Åre]], {{convert|620|km}} away by road.