The SOK announced last week that it was considering whether to throw its hat into the ring to host the Games in seven years' time.

A preliminary study is now underway to look at the feasibility of a Swedish bid before an interim report is due to be presented to the SOK General Assembly on April 20.

Sweden has never previously hosted the Winter Olympics but was in the race for the 2026 edition courtesy of a joint Stockholm-Åre bid before Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy were awarded the Games.

The Swedish interest in 2030 follows a meeting between the SOK and the International Olympic Committee last month.

Sapporo in Japan, Salt Lake City in the United States and Vancouver in Canada are also in the race for 2030 but are all facing some issues.

A joint bid between Valais in Switzerland and Chamonix in France and resorts in northern Italy was put off before it could gather momentum.

"The International Olympic Committee welcomes this renewed interest from the Swedish Olympic committee, which previously proposed a project for the Olympic Winter Games 2026," the IOC told insidethegames.

"Under the new approach to electing Olympic hosts, the IOC is permanently open to informal and non-committal discussions with any cities, regions or countries and their National Olympic Committees in any part of the world that are interested in hosting the Games of the Olympiad, the Olympic Winter Games, or the Summer or Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"These discussions are not linked to a particular year or election of the Games and there is no longer a fixed election cycle, as in the past."

A steering group, led by SOK acting vice-president Hans von Uthmann, is carrying out the feasibility study.

Association of National Olympic Committees secretary general Gunilla Lindberg, who is an international advisor for SOK, is expected to be involved in the group which is looking to bring in specialist expertise from various fields.

Stockholm, Falun, Åre and Östersund are among the cities that SOK said it was considering due to their experience of hosting major international competitions.

The SOK said it hoped to table its final report "during the summer" but insisted "the important thing is that this is done properly and not as quickly as possible".

The Swedish Government is also refusing to financially commit to getting behind a bid until it is informed of the findings of the SOK’s preliminary study.

Sweden has failed to win a bid for the Winter Olympics on eight previous occasions and there was reportedly a lack of public support in the bidding process for 2026.

"We are informed, and just like SOK look forward to an analysis of whether there are good conditions or not," said Kristersson in a report by Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten.

"There are many of us who likes the Olympics, but no one wants to draw any hasty conclusions.

"Economics has almost always been a weighty reason not to do an Olympics and it is guaranteed to remain as an argument.

"Then there are some signs that indicate that it is possible to make the Olympics cheaper these days than before."

Stockholm Mayor Karin Wanngård added: "It is good that sports look at the issue collectively.

"If Stockholm can assist with basis for the preliminary study, we will of course be helpful with that.

"The question of how Stockholm approaches an Olympics can only become relevant when the Government announces that they stand for security guarantees."

Swedish Paralympic Committee President Åsa Llinares Norlin and National Sports Federation chief Björn Eriksson have also expressed their support for the 2030 bid.

Sapporo had been the favourite to secure the 2030 hosting rights but the bid has been "paused" due to escalating public anger following a bribery scandal involving Tokyo 2020.

Vancouver is also not certain after the Government of British Columbia announced it would not fund a bid.

Salt Lake City said it was prepared to step into the breach but is keen on the 2034 edition to avoid clashing with sponsorships for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The American city last hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002 and a new poll has revealed that there is a strong public support for the Games to return in either 2030 or 2034.

According to a study conducted by Deseret News and Hinckley Institute of Politics, 82 per cent of respondents in Utah said they wanted Salt Lake City to stage the Winter Olympics again with 55 per cent stating that they strongly approved of hosting the Games.

The poll, which was carried out between January 23 and 30 and was completed by 802 people, also found that 12 per cent were against another Games including seven per cent who are strongly opposed.