EU – Baltic States, Good for Business, Latvia

As it was expected, the two other contenders continuing the race for the rights to host the games include Calgary, Canada, and the combined bid of two Italian cities - Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

If Stockholm wins the race, the Olympic luge, bobsleigh and skeleton competitions will be held in Sigulda.

The IOC will elect the winning bid at its session in September 2019.

Last week, the IOC dropped Turkey’s Erzurum from the list of candidate cities leaving only three candidates on the shortlist.

Swiss city Sion, Japan's Sapporo and Graz in Austria pulled out in recent months, scared off by the cost and size as well as local opposition to the big event.

As reported, Latvia and Sweden signed a memorandum in June providing for cooperation on Stockholm’s bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, using Latvia's Sigulda track for the Olympic luge, bobsleigh and skeleton events.

Stockholm does not have its own bobsleigh track, which is why it has approached the Latvian Olympic Committee for the Sigulda Bobsleigh and Luge Track to be included in its Olympic bid.