Host City Selection
Planning of the Lillehamer bid started in 1981, following Falun, Sweden's failed bid for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It was supported by the government largely to help stimulate the economy of the inland counties. Lillehammer originally bid for the 1992 Games, but came fourth in the voting. In 1986, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same year since the latter's inception in 1924, and arrange them in alternating even-numbered years. A new bid was launched for the 1994 Games, modified with an indoor speed skating venue and an additional ice hall in Lillehammer. Additional government guarantees were secured.
Three other locations bid for the games: Östersund, Anchorage in Alaska, and Sofia. The 94th IOC Session, held in Seoul on 15 September 1988, voted Lillehammer the host for the Games. The Lillehammer Olympics were the last Winter Games to date to be held in a town, rather than be centered around a city.
| City | Country | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lillehammer | Norway | 25 | 30 | 45 |
| Östersund | Sweden | 19 | 33 | 39 |
| Anchorage | United States | 23 | 22 | — |
| Sofia | Bulgaria | 17 | — | — |
Read more about this topic: 1994 Winter Olympics
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