Credible_Chris wrote:
Has that honestly ever happened?
Correction..... a friend suggested I look closely at the 1976 Winter Olympics history.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Winter_Olympics
The games were originally awarded to Denver in May 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to Colorado voters' rejection on November 7, 1972, by a 3 to 2 margin, of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games with public funds.
Denver officially withdrew on November 15, and the IOC then offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, but they too declined owing to a change of government following elections. (Whistler would go on to be associated with neighboring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 games.)
Salt Lake City, Utah, which would eventually host in 2002, offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC, still reeling from the Denver rejection, declined and selected Innsbruck on February 5, 1973; it had hosted the 1964 games nine years earlier.
Going back further to 1948.... St. Moritz has previous host was asked to hold it again with 18 months notice after WWII http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Winter_Olympics
The IOC selected St. Moritz to host the 1948 Games at their general session in September 1946. St. Moritz was selected because it was located in Switzerland, which had remained neutral during the war, and also because it had already hosted a Winter Games in 1928. This made the organization of the Games simpler and more economical. Despite the existence of many of the venues, it was still a difficult task to organize a Winter Olympic Games in less than 18 months.
