The northern province of Friesland is planning to do “all it can” to get the rights to stage the skating events for the 2030 Winter Olympics – if Switzerland wins the competition to organise the games.

Switzerland does not have a large speed skating rink and sees the Thialf stadium and the Inzell stadium in Germany as possible options. Sweden and France have also said they would like to host the Winter Olympics, as well as Japan, the US and Canada.

The Thialf stadium in Heerenveen is “extremely well suited” to the event, provincial sports chief Femke Wiersma said.

The International Olympic Committee will decide next year which will be the winning bid and the IOC will soon be invited to the Netherlands to watch the European distance championships. “Then they will be able to savour the atmosphere and see how well we organise everything,” Wiersma said.

Thialf director Minne Dolstra has also welcomed the idea of hosting the skating events. “If they ask, we are not going to say ‘no’,” Dolstra told the Telegraaf.