France and the United States are moving into phase three of the bid for the 2030 Olympics. Sweden is no longer part of the process, and at a press conference the IOC explains what applies to the state guarantee.
"The guarantee is not expected at this point. On the other hand, we want to see clear political support, and that is where the United States and France had very strong proposals. So there was nothing missing, but we wanted to see the state provide the support that we know is required," said Christophe Dubi, executive director of the Olympics.
"Will have strong applications"
What would it have hurt to take Sweden to the next step?
"When we have to make a choice between applications, it's not about providing opportunities, it's about making decisions based on what we know. Decisions should be made based on who we believe can deliver. Based on that, we came to the conclusion that France and the United States should go ahead because they show that they will have strong applications in February," he says.