[2006 Torino]The Moment the Winter Olympics Host City Was Decided

On June 19, 1999, at the 109th IOC Session held in Seoul, South Korea, the host city for the 2006 Winter Olympics was decided to be Turin, Italy.

The Moment the Host City Was Announced

At the General Assembly, President Juan Antonio Samaranch took the stage and announced the host city.

“…the XXth Olympiad winter Olympic games in 2006 is Torino.”

This decision was significantly influenced by the bribery scandal surrounding the 2002 Salt Lake City Games bid that had come to light the previous year and its aftermath.

Sion’s Downfall Amid Accusations

Sion, the Strongest Contender

In the 2006 bid race, alongside Turin, Switzerland’s Sion was considered a strong contender, with Sion in particular seen as the ‘absolute favorite’.

First, Sion had scored higher than Turin in the IOC’s preliminary technical evaluation.
Furthermore, having already endured the bitter experience of two failed bids, the local residents’ enthusiasm, banking on “third time lucky,” was also highly regarded.

“The Just Accusation” Turned into “Resentment Against Sion”

Nevertheless, the biggest reason Sion suffered its third bitter defeat was that very “just accusation”.

The whistleblower who exposed the IOC bribery behind the Salt Lake City bid was Marc Hodler. He was a Swiss IOC member and the spiritual pillar of Sion’s bid.

The allegations forced the IOC to reform its selection process, stripping members of privileges such as banning individual site visits by general IOC members. This sparked resentment among some IOC members, which was directed at Sion, supported by Hodler.

Turin races ahead with Fiat

Turin stakes its reputation on Fiat and the Agnelli family’s prestige

Braving headwinds from Sion, Turin, Italy countered with a powerful support system.

Turin is the home base of Fiat, Italy’s leading automaker. Fiat is a family-run business controlled by the Agnelli family. In Japan, it could be compared to Toyota Motor Corporation.

At the helm of the Turin campaign was Gianni Agnelli, Honorary Chairman of Fiat. Leveraging his extensive global network in politics and business, Agnelli spearheaded an intense lobbying effort mobilizing Italy’s entire political and economic establishment.

Furthermore, Turin presented a vision of transforming itself “from an industrial city to a city of culture and tourism.” This vision made a strong impression on IOC members seeking change.

The Voting Outcome Shaped by Politics

And then, the heavy favorite Sion faltered, allowing Turin to pull off a stunning upset victory.

The Italian delegation erupted in wild celebration at the venue. Gianni Agnelli, in particular, was overcome with emotion and shed tears.

Meanwhile, Sion, despite being the superior candidate city, could only stand in stunned silence after suffering its third consecutive defeat.

This outcome starkly highlighted the reality that the bidding war is influenced more by complex human relationships and organizational dynamics than by pure sporting conditions or operational capabilities.

Final Voting Results

In the final vote between the two cities shortlisted by the selection committee, Turin secured an overwhelming victory.

Following Salt Lake City’s allegations, IOC reforms introduced a system where a Selection College composed of experts pre-selects cities to advance to the final vote.

This resulted in the exclusion of the following cities: Helsinki (Finland), Klagenfurt (Austria), Poprad-Tatry (Slovakia), Zakopane (Poland).

The Legacy Passed On to Milan-Cortina

Turin established its hosting model in 2006, “blending the charm of the city with the natural beauty of the Alps.”

This is not a fleeting concept; over the course of two decades, it has been reliably passed on and evolved, reaching the Milan-Cortina Games of 2026.