Frozen liabilities? Evaluating Winter Olympic Nordic and sliding venues

Nordic centres, ski jumps, and sliding tracks are among the most expensive and specialized Winter Olympic venues, yet their post-Games performance is understudied. This paper evaluates the legacy and financial outcomes of these venue types across five Winter Olympics: Calgary 1988, Lillehammer 1994, Salt Lake City 2002, Torino 2006, and Vancouver 2010. Directed qualitative content analysis of organizing committee reports, audits, financial statements, government documents, media coverage, and academic studies applies a framework combining selected elements of the mega-event syndrome with legacy fit. Across the five hosts, sliding tracks and ski jumps either required continuing financial support or were closed or decommissioned, whereas Nordic centres accommodated broader recreational and seasonal uses. Endowments prolonged operations but did not eliminate structural deficits or long-term capital liabilities. Future hosts should size legacy funds against realistic operating and renewal costs, prioritize adaptable designs, and avoid new specialized venues where sport participation and tourism demand are weak.