Christophe Dubi confirmed both bids could submit the Government guarantees after the deadline ©IOC

Government guarantees are set to be absent from the candidature files due to be submitted by 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games bidders Stockholm and Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tomorrow, senior official Christophe Dubi has confirmed.

Dubi, the executive director for the Olympic Games, revealed the IOC had given the two candidates extra time to secure the full guarantees and that these would not be provided until after tomorrow's deadline.

He claimed the IOC had allowed Stockholm 2026 and Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo 2026 "leeway" on the Government assurances owing to the "political context that we are facing".

Dubi added that he expected the full bid books, including the Government assurances, to be sent to the IOC within the next "three to four weeks" and in time for the Evaluation Commission visits.

The Evaluation Commission, led by Romanian IOC member Octavian Morariu, is due to inspect the Swedish capital's bid from March 12 to 16 before it heads to Italy from April 2 to 6.

Neither bid has yet received Government guarantees and the IOC has allowed both extra time to put this in place before it is included in the candidature files.

Dubi claimed this was "nothing different" for the IOC and was something the organisation has already faced in the past.

The two candidates will submit their bid books to the IOC tomorrow ©Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo 2026/Stockholm 2026
The two candidates will submit their bid books to the IOC tomorrow ©Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo 2026/Stockholm 2026

The lack of Government support for both projects has hung over the two candidates in recent months and has led to fears that they might have to withdraw their bids.

Officials from Stockholm 2026 and Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo 2026 have both insisted it is not damaging to their respective candidacies, however.

Stockholm 2026 lacks political support after a local Government reshuffle in October saw the Green Party and the centre-right Alliance parties join forces and declare the city would not host the Games.

A further vote in Parliament is set to take place this month to try and form a new National Government.

The Italian Government has refused to underwrite the joint bid from Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The Italian National Olympic Committee claim, however, that the cities are part of two of the richest provinces in the country and can afford to finance the Games without Government support.

Following the Commission visits, the evaluation panel will provide a report on both bids before the host city is chosen at the IOC Session in Lausanne from June 24 to 26.