There's a chance for the first time the Olympic Games will be held in two countries:
Kraków and Zakopane in
Poland &
Poprad and Tatry in
Slovakia
Last week members of Polish and Slovak National Olympic Committees had a meeting with Kraków city administration in which they agree to submit the bid possibly in 2013 and formed official alliance. Even the prime ministers Donald Tusk and Róbert Fico were talking about this serious cooperation in Brussels.
Both regions bid independently (Zakopane in 2006, Poprad and Tatry in 2002 and 2006) for the Winter Olympics, and did not make the final short list.
However since then the situation has changed. Both countries joined the EU in 2004 and they are part of the free market area. Since 2006 both countries joined the Shengen area and borders disappeared. It caused the trade between the countries has grew several times in last 10 years. Even traffic (especially highways) in southern Poland and northern Slovakia has improved and by the year 2022 it can be very good. Both countries succesfully organized major sporting events (2011 IIHF World Hockey Chamionship in Slovakia, 2012 UEFA Euro Football Cup in Poland).
In our part of the Europe (East Central) no Winter Olympics has ever been held. The nearest Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck, Austria 1964/1976 or in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia/Bosnia and Herzegovina 1984.
According to basic agreement about 70% of sport events (even Opening and Closing Ceremony) would be held in Poland and rest in Slovakia. Some alpine ski events would be held in Slovakia (either in Lomnické sedlo in High Tatras or in Jasná Ski Center in Low Tatras) and at least a part of the Olympic hockey tourney in Poprad. For this purpose the plan is to built a new hockey arena in Poprad with the capacity around 8-10 thousand spectators and next smaller stadium in Liptovský Mikuláš for women hockey tourney.
For the centuries natural borders of Carpathian mountains and especially High Tatras have devided Slovaks on the south and Poles on the north. This event can cause that High Tatras will unite not only Slovaks and Poles, but almost all the world countries.
I really like this idea
. What do you think about that?
