Poles against 2022 Winter Olympics bid

Krakow. Photo: wikipedia

The survey was held just weeks before a 25 May referendum in Krakow on the matter, with the city hoping to stage the games in cooperation with Poland's winter capital of Zakopane, as well as resorts in Slovakia.

However, only 31 percent of respondents nationwide came out in favour of the idea, while 10.6 percent concluded it was “difficult to say” whether or not the bid should be continued.

Mayor of Krakow Jacek Majchrowski told Polish Radio that he will continue to try and convince Poles and the people of Krakow themselves that the games will be profitable.

He said that there has been a negative campaign against the bid, and that opponents of the idea “told people the games are counterproductive and that we can't afford them, without showing any data.”

The campaign bid was rocked in recent weeks as a result of a media sting involving clandestinely recorded tapes. The editor of a local web site claimed that Andrzej Walczak, husband of Krakow's bid committee leader, was trying to buy favourable coverage.

Following the incident, bid leader Jagna Marczulajtis-Walczak, resigned and the committee was overhauled.

At present, besides Krakow, only four other potential city candidates remain: Oslo, Beijing, Almaty and Lviv.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will announce the winner in July 2015.

The survey was carried out on 28 April by the Homo Homini Institute, with 1100 people interviewed. (nh)

Source: IAR