Time is running out to reach a definitive agreement that would allow formalizing the Barcelona-Pyrenees bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympic Games. While the cities of Sapporo, Salt Lake City, and Vancouver have already done their homework, for now, the shared project between Catalonia and Aragon remains up in the air, although the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) has already warned that if there is no agreement before next May 20, the project will probably not go forward.
"If there is no will to all row in the same direction and leave political games out of the Barcelona Pyrenees project, there will be no games, for sure." This is how forcefully Juan Antonio Samaranch, a member of the COE and new vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), expressed himself this Monday at the premiere of the Moments Estel·lars de Barcelona cycle, organized by The New Barcelona Post with the collaboration of Casa Seat and Must Media Group.
The high representative of the Olympic movement has asked to put aside the fights "and go together," since if "we go fighting, it's better not to go." Samaranch admitted that with only a few days left until the deadline set by the COE, there is still no agreement, although "everything possible and impossible has been done" to achieve it. "We still have a few days; I am confident that common sense will prevail and we can have a good bid," he expressed hopefully.
For Samaranch, all technical indicators point to the fact that "great Winter Olympic Games can be held in the Pyrenees" and repeat the success of the Barcelona '92 Olympic Games, which left "an impressive legacy" in the city, not only for the infrastructures built and the recovery of the beaches, but also because they allowed "to live a dream" and empower a society that was not sure of itself, since it "considered it a miracle to think that it had the capacity to organize games." "We believed we could do it and we did it, which represents many points of GDP."
Samaranch has also wanted to provide a positive vision and de-dramatize the current moment of lack of agreement between Catalonia and Aragon and the existing discrepancies within the Catalan territory itself, recalling that 36 years ago "the fights were also impressive." "Maragall, Pujol, Serra and Ferrer-Salat also killed each other," but in the end, everyone got on the same boat and rowed in the same direction. "Despite the political fights we are seeing these days, nothing happens, calm, from Lausanne all this is seen, but not lived. If we solve it in time, we will do well," he stressed. "The Barcelona brand ---he adds--- continues to be an eminently Olympic brand, it is a very successful brand within the Olympic world and, therefore, a candidacy that bears the name of Barcelona has much to gain by having good possibilities of moving forward".
Interviewed by journalist and UPF-BSM professor Toni Aira, the new vice president of the IOC wanted to be very clear when explaining that the Olympic Games that may be held in the winter of 2030 will have nothing to do with those of 1992, since today "everything has changed 100%." "The philosophy of the Olympic Games has taken a 180° turn; we do not want any facility that does not make sense for the development of society or that is not part of a very long-term project of social use of these facilities. If this project is not available, we do not allow anything to be built. We do not need a high-speed train to go to La Molina!!! For the 16 days that the Olympic Games last, we will go on the same train, we do not need new highways or airports," he emphasized.
A cost of 1,700 million, of which the IOC pays half
In parallel to this reassuring message regarding infrastructure, Samaranch also wanted to downplay criticism about the high cost of an event of this nature and stressed that an Olympic Games "is not loss-making." "The Winter Games ---he explains--- have a cost of between 1.6 billion and 1.8 billion dollars. Of this figure, the IOC pays more than half, between 900 million and 1 billion, which it puts from its own funds. The rest is covered by sponsors from each territory ---between 400 million and 600 million--- and with ticket sales, which can generate another 400 million." "All Winter and Summer Olympic Games in the last 20 years have made money, they are not loss-making," he stated.
Given the growing opposition in the territory to the holding of the Barcelona-Pyrenees games, Samaranch pointed out that, unlike in 1992, "now everything must be explained much more." "Today everything is discussed; even good ideas are questioned, which is why we must have a much more powerful capacity to tell and communicate than before, when so many explanations were not needed. From Lausanne we will help to clearly explain to society why we believe it is good to hold these Winter Games and finally achieve social approval," he reflected.
"All Winter and Summer Olympic Games in the last 20 years have made money, they are not loss-making"At this point, the executive stated that with some Olympic Games "society improves", since they clearly represent "an injection of values that multiplies exponentially""The Olympic Games represent values; they are not just a sports competition with the best athletes in the world. Under the Olympic rings, there is a series of values that are very necessary in today's society, both for us and for future generations," he argued.
Always with a conciliatory tone and favoring consensus, Samaranch congratulated himself on the fact that Barcelona has managed to bring the America's Cup of Sailing to the city, an event that will allow the Catalan capital to "be present in all world media for a long period of time." "The America's Cup is very important. We are always saying that in Barcelona we never do anything, and we have managed to bring the main world sailing competition here; it's a magical moment. Again, the coordination between public administrations and civil society has been set in motion and has worked like clockwork. It has been done so well that the world of 'no' has not had time to say no. Before they could put up the banner, it was already done. I am convinced that this will have continuity."
"With the America's Cup, it has been done so well that the world of 'no' has not had time to say no"He also wanted to combat the low morale or discouragement installed in Barcelona. "I live in Madrid, and indeed, the city has a superior state of mind. Of course, they have advantages; Madrid is not only the capital of Spain, it is the capital of Latin America, and that means a lot.But Barcelona could consider being the capital of the Mediterranean. Is there another city in the Mediterranean objectively better than Barcelona? Barcelona is very powerful. Enough with the crying!It would be fantastic to play in the Copa América and then continue with the 2030 Winter Olympics."
The first session of the Moments Estel·lars de Barcelona cycle was held at Casa Seat, with the presence of a hundred readers of The New Barcelona Post and with the attendance of representatives of civil and business society, such as Albert Agustí, president of Sport Cultura Barcelona; Josep Martínez-Vila, CEO of Saba; Ricard Frigola, director of institutional relations at Agbar; Albert Civit, manager of Incasòl; Ruben Sans, president of AIJEC; Sonia Mulero, director of the Banco Sabadell Foundation, or Guillem Carol, CEO of Must Media Group.
In the coming days, the entire conversation between Toni Aira and Juan Antonio Samaranch can be recovered and listened to, either in podcast format or by watching the session on YouTube.