That is the view of Gian-Franco Kasper, President of the International Skiing Federation (FIS) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member.

"I have been talking to people in Québec about the possibility of holding the Games there," Kasper told insidethegames.

"Québec could do the winter Games.

"They don't have the good number of downhill skiing slopes, but they could do it with Lake Placid.

"The possibility to go outside a city to hold other events has always existed in the winter Games.

"In Québec there is great national pride.

"They were probably afraid before to use that possibility of sharing because they felt they would have no chance with the IOC.

"But after these changes to the summer Games spoken about in the Agenda 2020 discussions, maybe they think 'Okay, we might have a chance of winning too now.'"

Austria's Annemarie Moser-Proll en route for Olympic gold in the 1980 winter Games downhill at Lake Placid, in New York state - which Gian Franco Kasper, FIS President, believes could form a joint bid with Quebec under the new arrangements regarding bidding agreed at the recent IOC Agenda 2020 meeting in Monaco ©AFP/Getty Images

Kasper, who will preside tomorrow over the opening of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in the United States resort of Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado - added "What has changed is the thinking."

Québec may need to be patient now that history has effectively repeated itself with the recent announcement that Boston will seek to bring the 2024 Summer Games to the United States.

However, the fact that Québec would be a joint Canadian/US bid might well put it into a different category than a sole US bid.

Twelve years ago the province of Québec and New York State agreed to work on a joint bid for the Winter Olympics, with plans being laid to use venues around Montreal and Lake Placid, which are about 140 miles apart.

But the idea was put on hold following New York City's nomination as a bidder for the 2012 summer Games.

More recently Québec City has contemplated bidding for the winter Games, and while its mayor, Regis Labeaume, ruled out trying for the 2022 Winter Olympics, he added that 2026 "could be a good target".

The then IOC President Jacques Rogge said he believed the 2026 Winter Games would be a realistic option for the city, which has had a problem finding a mountain suitable for the downhill event.

The planned location Le Massif - about 40 miles north-east of Québec city - was not approved.

Voting for the 2026 host city is due to take place in 2019.

Read the full interview with Gian-Franco Kasper in the Big Read by clicking here. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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