FISU Acting President Leonz Eder is confident of finding a host for upcoming Winter World University Games ©ITG

Lillehammer has emerged as a frontrunner to land the 2027 International University Sports Federation (FISU) Winter World University Games.

A group from the Norwegian municipality has travelled here to the United States, where Lake Placid 2023 is due to open tonight, to hold discussions with the governing body's leadership over the potential hosting.

"We have a delegation from Norway, from Lillehammer, coming here to Lake Placid including the Mayor," FISU Acting President Leonz Eder told insidethegames.

"They have a 200-year celebration and normally if you have such an event it gets additional money and so we have already had some talks with them.

"If we get Lillehammer for 2027 this would be great."

Norwegian cross-country skier Magnus Bøe, centre, has endorsed Lillehammer to host the 2027 FISU Winter World University Games ©ITG
Norwegian cross-country skier Magnus Bøe, centre, has endorsed Lillehammer to host the 2027 FISU Winter World University Games ©ITG

The Games potentially coming to Lillehammer for the first time has struck a chord with athletes from Norway.

Magnus Bøe, a South Korean-born Norwegian cross-country skier, thinks it would bring a unique atmosphere to the host city of the 1994 Winter Olympics and 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"That would be great!" the 24-year-old, a winner of two cross-country gold medals at Lillehammer 2016, said.

"Norway has not hosted in the past and, being the winter nation it is, I find it very fitting [that it would host].

"I participated in the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer in 2016 and that was a week of buzz.

"It was just so much fun.

"Not just the athletes, but the whole community was just so into the concept and into the idea and they really showed up.

"It felt like a real Olympics, and I've been to one.

"It was epic and I can totally see how a FISU Winter Games in Lillehammer could be the same.

"I think it's time for it."

Lillehammer staged the 2016 Youth Olympic Games and has emerged as frontrunner to host the Winter World University Games in 2027 as a delegation is in talks with FISU in Lake Placid ©Getty Images
Lillehammer staged the 2016 Youth Olympic Games and has emerged as frontrunner to host the Winter World University Games in 2027 as a delegation is in talks with FISU in Lake Placid ©Getty Images

FISU has tied down hosts for the next four editions of its Summer Games, with North Carolina being awarded the 2029 event at an Executive Committee meeting here on Tuesday (January 10).

Winter hosts, however, have yet to be finalised beyond Turin 2025, but Eder is positive that a solution will be found soon.

"There are some other places, Quebec is always discussing a little bit but we are quite confident to find somebody," said the Swiss official.

"As a backup, it could be Erzurum again.

"The Turkish Federation is very active and the country is really interested in hosting big events, including FISU Games.

"So, if we had a big problem I believe that Erzurum could be ready to host our Games as well in '27, '29, maybe '31."

The Anatolian city staged the 25th Winter edition in 2011, six years after Izmir in Turkey welcomed athletes for the Summer Games.

Lucerne in Switzerland was due to host the 2021 Winter Games but, following the COVID-19-induced cancellation, will not consider hosting for another decade.