Residents of the Norwegian capital voted in September to back a bid following a referendum and the campaign will be officially launched within the next few days.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) deadline for cities to submit bids is November 14.

"The city of Oslo will within the deadline to submit our candidature to the IOC, announce our genuine ambitions of applying for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games," Ingunn Olsen, director of communications at Oslo 2022, told insidethegames.

Oslo lasted hosted the Winter Olympics in 1952 while Lillehammer staged 1994, the only previous occasion they were staged in Norway.

Oslo last hosted the Winter Olympics in 1952

"Norway is the cradle of winter sports, and the year 2022 will mark 70 years since the 1952 Oslo winter Olympics, and 28 years since IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics 'the best Games ever'." said Olsen.

"Since the beginning of 2012, the city of Oslo and the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) have worked extensively together on a concept for an Oslo 2022 Olympic and Paralympic bid.

"With our concept 'Games in the City', we will present ultra-compact Games, and an unique combination of an international urban environment and a great nature experience.

"With this new bid, Oslo seeks to create a spectacular, ultra-compact and urban Olympic experience for a new generation."

Lillehammer 1994 was called "the best Games ever" by then IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and remains an event that people remember fondly

Oslo will join Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, who were the first to announce in September that they would bid.

They were followed yesterday by Lviv in Ukraine and a surprise joint bid from Beijing and Zhangjiakou.

There is today also due to be official confirmation that there will be a joint bid from Poland and Slovakia, with Krakow as the main centre.

Munich, who were beaten for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics by Pyeongchang, are also expected to bid again if the majority of people in the city and surrounding counties back the campaign in a referendum due to take place on Sunday (November 10).

The interest of so many cities will be a welcome boost for the IOC after the race for 2018 attracted only three entries.

The lack of entries forced them to keep Annecy in the contest, even though the bid was generally considered one of the weakest in recent history to get to that stage, a fact reflected in the final voting at the IOC Session in Durban in July 2011.

They polled only seven votes, the lowest total for 25 years.

It will be Oslo's fifth bid for the Winter Olympics.

Besides 1952, they also bid unsuccessfully for 1932 and 1968, as well as 1944, which were not held because of World War Two.

Lillehammer is due to host the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2013: Oslo residents vote in favour of 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic bid
September 2013: Oslo holds referendum and Barcelona indicates willingness as 2022 Winter Olympic bid plans escalate
June 2013: Oslo applies for financial Governmental guarantee for 2022 Olympics and Paralympics
June 2013: Oslo 2022 bid backed by City Council - now it awaits the public's verdict