Key facts about Sion
Following are some key facts about the bid by the Swiss town of Sion for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Following are some key facts about the bid by the Swiss town of Sion for the 2006 Winter Olympics:
- Population: 26,000
- Previous games: St. Moritz (Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948)
- Sites: ice sports in the Rhone valley; alpine events at Crans-Montana and Veysonnaz; bob and luge at St. Moritz.
- Strengths (as presented by organisers): Swiss stability and efficiency; use of many existing facilities, including the World Cup ski venues of Crans-Montana and Veysonnaz; experience in staging big sports events; improvements since previous bid for 2000 games.
- Weaknesses: distance to bobsled and luge venue in St. Moritz (six hours by road); Switzerland is expensive to visit; possible backlash against Marc Hodler, Swiss member of the International Olympic Committee, for his Olympic corruption allegations.
- Fact: it is Sion’s third bid for the games after it failed to clinch the nomination for the 1976 and 2002 Olympics.
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