MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
Norwegians love winter sports. Their haul of 26 medals in Sochi placed them third behind Russia and the U.S., a disproportionate haul. So you might think people in Oslo would be thrilled that their city is a likely contender to host the 2022 Winter Games.
But Sidsel Overgaard found that’s not always the case.
SIDSEL OVERGAARD, BYLINE: It’s a brisk night in Oslo, a new dusting of snow on the ground. In the city center, mittened children scrape and twirl on an outdoor rink, torn up by a day’s hard use.
(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS)
OVERGAARD: At a nearby pub, a few hardy souls are standing outside enjoying a pint. And they’re more than happy to dive in on this subject.
VEDAR MYKLEBYST: We don’t want the Olympics. No, why should we? We have enough things to use our money on.
OVERGAARD: Vedar Myklebyst says he’d rather see the Norway’s oil wealth go to things like hospitals and schools. His friend Morten Andersen is against the idea, too, but for a different reason.
MORTEN ANDERSEN: We could definitely afford it, the money is no problem. But I think we have a problem with space because Oslo is very tiny. So if we got a lot of visitors, that would present a problem for, you know, commute – you know, the bus and trains and everything. They’re already crowded enough as it is.
OVERGAARD: These two men seem to speak for a growing number of people here. In a fall referendum, 55 percent of Oslo residents voted to move forward with an Olympic bid. But a recent newspaper survey suggests support has fallen to about 45 percent…
Listen to the story at NPR.org
