Crans-Montana: Switzerland resort where 40 people died in ski bar fire set to stage 2038 Winter Olympics

A Swiss resort where a New Year’s Eve bar fire tragically claimed 40 lives is now proposed to host Alpine skiing events for the 2038 Winter Olympics.

The Swiss Olympic committee announced on Monday it is in “privileged dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee regarding a bid for the Games.

The proposal outlines a “decentralised” approach, with events spread across various regions of Switzerland.

Crans-Montana, the site of the tragedy on December 31, has been earmarked to host the Alpine skiing competitions.

A bar in the resort, Le Constellation, was the scene of a fire at a New Year party in which 40 people died, with prosecutors requesting last week that one of the bar’s managers be placed in pre-trial detention.

Switzerland has hosted the Winter Olympics twice before, with St Moritz staging the 1928 and 1948 Games.

The national Olympic committee said it had exclusive rights to pursue the bid until 2027.

Ruth Metzler-Arnold, President of Swiss Olympic, said: “The sports federations, from winter and summer sports, Olympic and non-Olympic, want the 2038 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Switzerland.

“They recognise the lasting impact such an event has on sport. Nothing has a comparable power to the guiding star of a major sporting event, which serves as a beacon for an entire generation of athletes and inspires people throughout the country – beyond the realm of sport.”