DECISION 2018: IOC praise all three candidates but Pyeongchang still frontrunner

By Sportsbeat staff

THREE cities vying to stage the 2018 Olympic Winter Games have all declared victories after the International Olympic Committee released their much anticipated evaluation report on the bids.

DECISION TIME: IOC president Jacques Rogge will announce the host of the 2018 Olympics in Durban in two months time (Getty Images)

Frontrunner Pyeongchang, bidding for the third time, received a glowing report to underline their favourites' status while both Munich and outsider Annecy were also praised, with the IOC's evaluation team claiming: "all three candidate cities could successfully host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, with each city offering its own distinct vision and concept."

Yang Ho Cho, chairman of the Pyeongchang 2018, declared himself 'absolutely delighted' with the findings, which particularly praised his bid's close attention to a winter sports legacy, their 'compact' Games footprint and they way they have adopted their planning after previous campaign defeats to Turin and Vancouver.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted that the IOC’s report confirms that PyeongChang is considered ready to welcome the Olympic and Paralympic Games to South Korea for the first time. 

"The evaluation commission’s visit to PyeongChang was a great success and this has been highlighted in their recognition of our bid as ‘a national priority’ and that ‘all land required for the construction and operation of the competition venues has been secured."

Munich, which is bidding to become the first city to stage both the summer and winter Games, were also encouraged, just days after residents of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, proposed venue for snow events, narrowly voted in favour of the bid.

"On very first reading, we are absolutely thrilled with the IOC evaluation commission's report on Munich 2018. Of course we will be reading and digesting the report more closely, but right now we want to offer our sincere thanks to the commission members for their full and frank assessment of our bid's strengths," said bid leader Bernhard Schwank.

"It was particularly pleasing to see that the core pillars of our Winter Games concept clearly resonated with the commission during its visit, particularly Munich 2018’s compact, athlete-friendly plan and our unique story of Olympic sustainability."

With the Russian resort of Sochi staging the 2014 Games, many believe it is unlikely the IOC's increasingly diverse and global thinking membership will again stage the 2018 event in Europe but Annecy, whose bid has been plagued by internal problems and lukewarm domestic support, still believe they are coming up on the rails and shouldn't be discounted.

IOC officials had already requested they revisit some of their original venue suggestions, claiming they were too spread out but the evaluation report claims new proposals could still cause 'operational and transport challenges'.

However, bid leader Charles Beigbeder insists he remains confident, just months away from the vote in Durban.

He said: "Today’s report released by the IOC evaluation commission is a real boost for the bid as it highlights the technical strengths of Annecy 2018’s vision of authentic Games in the heart of the mountains, with the athletes and for the future.

"Games in the shadow of the Mont Blanc, using the profile of the world’s number one winter sports destination, would provide a global platform for the Winter Olympics that would capture the imagination and benefit a generation of winter sports enthusiasts around the world. 

"Reuniting the Olympic movement with the winter sports heritage of the French Alps would inspire new innovations to be shared with the world.  

"Importantly, the central involvement of athletes in our bid would lead to the best possible sporting competition and ensure that the experience of fans, athletes and the watching global public is a top priority for Annecy 2018."

(c) Sportsbeat 2011