Speaking here after the opening day of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) orientation seminar, opened by President Thomas Bach, Ingunn Olsen admitted support was not universal in Norway at this stage, but remained confident that situation will improve.

"The Lillehammer area is all very positive as they remember the 1994 Games so have seen what the Olympics can do for a region," she told insidethegames.

"Oslo is going the same way, although we are not so sure about everywhere else at the moment.

"We have to work to tell more people about our concept so that they come onto our side.

"2022 is such a long time away it's difficult to see now what the Games can achieve, so we are pleased so far and expect support to get better and better as we are able to tell more people what the bid is about."

Olsen refused to react in any way other than positively about the results of September's referendum in Oslo where 55.1 per cent of voters chose in favour of bidding for the Games.

This is because of how Olympic referendums "are often unsuccessful", as the failures of similar public votes in St. Moritz/Davos and Munich  to bid for these 2022 Olympics and Paralympics illustrated.

The special appeal of Winter sports in Norway, such as cross country skiing, was given as a reason for the success of September's referendum ©AFP/Getty Images


Speaking about the strengths of Oslo's bid, Olssen took as inspiration the words of Bach when he opened the three day IOC Seminar here.

He spoke about the importance of making sure that your bid is "unique and original," and Olsen was quick to explain how Oslo will achieve this.

She described how Norway is a country defined by Winter sports with "huge enthusiasm which everyone wants to share", while the compact nature of both the city and the bid plan is at odds to the "dual-bid" plan of several alternatives. 

"The Games will build on the traditions of both the Oslo 1952 and Lillehammer 1994 Games but will also contain many new features," she added.

"We want to do it again for the new generation."

Oslo 2022 communications director Ingunn Olsen is optimistic that the whole of Norway will embrace their bid to host the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics as the campaign progresses ©Twitter

Olsen described how, unlike the Sochi 2014 vision which was based around "building everything new", Oslo will not be an extravagant or an expensive choice.

As with London 2012 and the Tokyo bid which won the 2020 race earlier this year, she claimed Oslo could be considered a "safe option", although dismissed the notion it would be a "low cost" Games.

Olsen claimed that the Games would be sustainable and with some reused venues, she also evoked London 2012 by emphasising the importance of "legacy" and providing for Europe's "fastest growing European capital city population."

This reference to London 2012 was perhaps unsurprising considering "London Games legacy and sport" was a component of the opening day of talks here at the seminar.

Certain elements of the Lillehammer 1994 Games will be incorporated along with other new aspects ©Getty Images




In an event designed to give Oslo, as well as rivals Almaty, Beijing, Lviv, Krakow and Stockholm, advice on what is expected from their application, other sessions covered Games services, Olympic vision and the role of the IOC Ethics Commission. 

Tomorrow will consist of financial, marketing and legal aspects as well as media and technology, sustainability and the Paralympic Games, before a series of private meetings on each of these elements on Friday (December 6).

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