Oslo–Lillehammer 2018 was a proposal for Oslo and Lillehammer, Norway, to bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Along with the Trondheim and Tromsø bids, it was one of three options for the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF), who ultimately chose to not bid for the games. Oslo announced the bid in September 2006, and the official proposal report was published in February 2007.
Compared to the other Norwegian bids, Oslo–Lillehammer presented the best infrastructure, transport and accommodation. The bid called for using existing venues for Alpine, Nordic and freestyle skiing, snowboarding, curling and sliding sports, although new venues would need to be built for ice hockey and skating. Major existing venues which would be used included Holmenkollen National Arena, Tryvann Vinterpark and Jordal Amfi in Oslo, and Hafjell, Kvitfjell and Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh and Luge Track in the Lillehammer area. All venues would be accessible by rail, including most of the Oslo venues by the Oslo Metro. The main Olympic Village would be built in Bjørvika and the media center in Lohavn. The bid's major downside was the distance between Oslo and Kvitfjell. The choice of those venues over Norefjell was subject to criticism and debate. Political support for Oslo was lower than for Tromsø, as the authorities prioritized regional policies in their support for candidates.
Background
Norway has hosted two Winter Olympics, the 1952 Games in Oslo and the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. Oslo has applied four times previously to host the games, in 1932, 1944, 1952 and 1968. A proposal was also made for Oslo to bid for 1980, but the application was never sent. In 2002, the five municipalities that had hosted the 1994 Olympics stated their intent to apply for the 2014 Winter Olympics. They hoped a new Olympics would stimulate the Oppland and Hedmark region, and focused on the reuse of the existing venues. At the same time, officials from Oslo also stated that they intended to bid for the same or later games.
Ahead of the bids for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Tromsø launched a proposal. It was seen both as a possibility to develop Northern Norway, and a way to celebrate the bicentennial of the Constitution of Norway. The proposal was rejected by the Bondevik's Second Cabinet, who stated that there should be more than 20 years between each time Norway hosted the Olympics. They were also concerned about the costs of the project. The opposition supported the Tromsø bid, stated it was important for regional development. Gerhard Heiberg, Norway's representative in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), described the project as unrealistic and that a better application would be needed to compete with bids such as Sochi's. The application was finally dismissed by the NIF board in July 2005.
On 23 June 2006, the NIF board announced that they planned to apply for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and asked for bids from Norwegian cities wanting to host the games. Oslo city councilor Anette Wiig Bryn announced on 25 August that Oslo planned to bid for the 2018 Olympics. It was the third city to announce it would apply to become the Norwegian applicant for the games, after both Tromsø and Trondheim had previously made announcements. The planning was given a municipal grant of 6 million Norwegian krone (NOK). Oslo Mayor Per Ditlev-Simonsen stated that the Oslo bid would include Norefjell rather than the Lillehammer venues. The Oslo and Lillehammer cooperation was announced on 13 September.
Venues and infrastructure
Holmenkollen National Arena was completely rebuilt ahead of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011. It features the large ski jumping hill Holmenkollbakken and the normal hill Midtstubakken, along with a cross-country skiing stadium. The large hill and the stadium were both used during the 1952 Olympics. Cross-country sprint were planned located at Tøyen Park. Biathlon was planned to be located at Lillomarka, where a multi-sport venue was planned built. The snowboard and freestyle events are planned split between Wyllerløypa, part of Tryvann Vinterpark, and Grefsenkleiva, part of Oslo Skisenter. Both are existing recreational areas for Alpine skiing and snowboard and within the city. Wyllerløypa was used during the 1952 Olympics for slalom.