Dario Cologna and Swiss Olympic officials gathered prominent figures from the sports and business sectors at Zürich’s Baur au Lac club on Wednesday, September 26, 2026, to secure private financial backing for the Switzerland 2038 winter Olympic bid. The former cross-country skiing star, alongside Swiss Olympic president and former federal councillor Ruth Metzler-Arnold, urged corporate leaders to support a proposed private deficit guarantee of 200 million Swiss francs.
Zürich Summit Targets 200 Million Francs
The campaign requires substantial private-sector commitments ahead of the official bid submission scheduled for the following year. Other key backers, including investor Urs Wietlisbach and biathlon patron Michael Hartweg, are actively participating in the search for financial underwriters.
Cologna told the assembled guests that hosting the Games represents a major opportunity that requires calculated risk. Metzler-Arnold offered a positive initial assessment of the evening’s discussions, noting that the feedback from potential contributors was encouraging.
Structuring the Olympic Financial Model
Switzerland remains in a privileged dialogue phase with the International Olympic Committee through the end of 2027. The broader financing model combines a federal contribution of up to 200 million Swiss francs with multi-site venue concepts and extensive private funding.
Wednesday’s gathering also marked a corporate transition for the organizing body, the Sport & Business Network. Founder Besfort Biljali announced that SBN is converting into a public limited company.
New Board and Global Expansion Plans
Walder, a former tennis professional, noted that athletic experiences such as agility and teamwork translate directly to corporate leadership.
Strebel used the evening to outline an upcoming international project stemming from a royal visit in February. Suthida, the Queen of Thailand, toured Strebel’s OYM elite sports training center in Cham earlier in the year and expressed interest in replicating the facility. Strebel announced plans to travel to Bangkok to help establish a similar center abroad.
On Backs 2038 Bid as Star Power Looms
On co-founder Olivier Bernhard also drew significant attention following his company’s announcement that football star Kylian Mbappé had transitioned from Nike to the Swiss athletic brand. Bernhard confirmed that On is among the initial corporate entities supporting the 2038 Olympic vision.
The evening concluded with Rainer Maria Salzgeber announcing that four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will headline the next SBN event scheduled for November 13 at the Dolder in Zürich.
