Withdrawal is the most likely scenario to open before the call of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) of a press conference for this Tuesday “which will report on the current situation of the candidacy for the 2030 Winter Olympics”.
The impossibility of agreeing with the governments of Catalonia and Aragon to form a joint candidacy around the Pyrenees remains 24 hours away from the appearance of COE president Alejandro Blanco, who previously presided over a meeting of his Executive Commission to explain the state of the situation to his board.
After six months of negotiations Everyone is indicating that the project will be put aside, even without closing the open channels of dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), thinking about future editions.
Aragon’s president, Javier Lambán, indicated on Monday that his government has “nothing new to say”, awaiting what the COE will officially do on Tuesday.
Last Friday, various sources involved in the negotiations admitted that it was “difficult” to continue the candidacy.although consensus -seeking options for the Catalonia and Aragon joint project are being rushed.
Far from approaching, the positions of governments of both communities have distanced themselves from their own in recent weeks.
Aragon does not recognize the agreement reached by technical experts, that alpine skiing is the main obstacle: this sport is held in Catalonia, a point not accepted by Aragonese executives.
In the initial technical agreement, it was considered good that the Catalan slopes would remain in alpine skiing and the Aragonese in cross-country skiing.
According to the last distribution, it was agreed on April 1 at a meeting in which Aragonese representatives refused to participate, Aragón will have 54 exams, which include cross-country skiing, biathlon, speed skating, short track skating, figure skating and curling, and Catalonia will maintain 42 disciplinescorresponding to alpine skiing, artistic skiing, snowboarding, mountain skiing and ice hockey.
Given seemingly unresolved differences, Catalonia on Thursday announced its interest in presenting its own project, without Aragon, which the government interpreted this movement as removing the mask of those who have always been want to compete with themselves.
The COE is the body that must present and defend the candidacy before the IOC.
Spain has never organized the Winter Games. The Aragonese town of Jaca was a contender for the 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 Games.
After the interest shown since 2018 by Barcelona in organizing a Winter Games, with the city’s name as an Olympic claim and including the Pyrenees as the center of snow events, the IOC confirmed in January 2020 that Barcelona- Pyrenees, Japanese Sapporo and American Salt Lake City were the three candidates who expressed their desire to organize the Games in 2030, 2034 or 2038. Then Canadian Vancouver joined.
Both the COE and the central government have opened negotiations in Aragón from the outset, in the belief that the project will gain quality and also benefit from an image of sports consensus that is difficult to achieve in other areas. But, 24 hours before the final decision, that consensus is drifting farther and farther away. Other than a radical change of positions, withdrawal of candidacy is the most likely option.
Source: La Verdad
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