International Games Archive

International Games Archive: "Sarajevo cancels hosting of 2009 Special Olympic Winter World Games
February 12, 2006
Special Olympics organizers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have announced that Sarajevo will not be hosting the 2009 Special Olympics Winter World Games.
Sarajevo was awarded the games in March of 2005, during the last Winter Games in Nagano.
The news was known by Special Olympics International in December, but not made public or published on their web site.
News sources in Idaho have announced that Boise, Idaho, at first interested in a run at the 2013 games, are now very interested in bidding for the 2013 games.
According to the Idaho Statesman local Idaho Special Olympics supporters Jim and Pirie Grossman were interested in proposing a 2013 World Games bid when they ran into Maria Shriver at a Christmas party in Sun Valley. Shriver broke the news that Bosnia and Herzegovina had recently dropped out as hosts, and suggested that Idaho look at the possibility of bidding for the 2009 games.
Special Olympics officials were in Boise in late January evaluating venues.
The Idaho Statesman has reported that there may be bids from Poland, Germany, and possibly, the Reno, Lake Tahoe region in Nevada, hosts of the 1989 games.
Bid proposals must be ready by March 3rd, and the new host is scheduled to be chosen by the end of May. "