By Nick Butler

Oslo 2022 bid plan has been approved by external experts ©NBC Universal/Getty ImagesDecember 20 - Oslo's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games has received an early boost after a review by external experts failed to find "any major weaknesses" in the initial plans.


With any Norwiegan public project totalling more than 750 million kroner ($122 million/£75 million/€89 million) subject to external reviews, the study was undertaken by consultancy agency DNV GL, along with contributions from AF Advansia and the Centre for Applied Research at Bergen University.

It was reported "the application described a relatively restrained concept and findings were in line with the application material," although several areas for review were highlighted. 

This included the possibility of more participants than estimated attending, adapting the public transport system to cope with the needs of the public not heading for Olympic venues, and clarifying the tax status of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Norway.

The report has now been passed onto the Government with a "state financial guarantee" having to be approved by Parliament no later than January 2015.

The public desire an Olympics due to the huge popularity of Winter sports in Norway, it is hoped ©AFP/Getty ImagesThe public desire an Olympics due to the huge popularity of Winter sports in Norway, it is hoped ©AFP/Getty Images




The review estimated this state guarantee for the 2022 Games would total 35.1 billion kroner ($5.6 billion/£3.4 billion/€4 billion) although with deductions from income from sponsors and other sources the cost was estimated at 21.7 billion kroner ($3.5 billion/£2.1 billion/€2.6 billion).

Although a far lower number than other recent Olympics, includng Sochi 2014, this is still a considerable sum for a bid billed as a compact, safe option and dubbed the "Games in the City".

This is particularly significant because of the difficult economic times being experienced in Norway, as elsewhere in Europe, in recent years, with many municipalities currently facing budget cuts.

As Oslo 2022 director of communications Ingunn Olsen told insidethegames earlier this month, persuading the population as a whole of the benefits of hosting the Games will be the major challenge if the bid is to be successful.

Drawing on the popularity of Winter disciplines and on the success of the Oslo 1952 and Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics would seem the best way by which to do this.

Minister of Culture Thorhild Widvey is responsible for overseeing the Government deliberations and has promised to thoroughly study the independent report, calling it "a very important foundation for our evaluation of whether we will offer a state guarantee."

Oslo will be hoping to build on the success of its last Games in 1952, as well as of the 1994 version in nearby Lillehammer ©Paris Match Archive/Getty ImagesOslo will be hoping to build on the success of its last Games in 1952, as well as of the 1994 version in nearby Lillehammer ©Paris Match Archive/Getty Images


Oslo is the early favourite in the six strong race for 2022 which also consists of bids from Beijing, Krakow, Lviv, Almaty and Stockholm.

After beginning their bidding process at an IOC orientation seminar in Lausanne earlier this month, the six are now answering a detailed questionnaire to be submitted next March shortly after they attend Sochi 2014 as official observers.

The IOC will then consider each application in the Spring before shortlisting the candidate cities at an Executive Board Meeting in July.