A full eight years or more ahead of the event, cities from all over the world outline what they hope is the perfect proposal for hosting the world’s largest and most prestigious winter sporting event. And it’s no easy feat: winning a national bid, scrounging up the $150,000US entrance fee, and submitting a lengthy questionnaire to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are only the first steps to securing the rights. Based on the questionnaire and brief visit to each city, the IOC selects a handful of finalists. On July 7, they did just that.
Of the nine qualifying cities, three were chosen to proceed to the final round of selection in which the members of IOC will vote on the host city: PyeongChang, South Korea; Salzburg, Austria; and Sochi, Russia. PyeongChang and Salzburg are veterans of the finalist bid process; they came in second and third respectively during the 2010 bid. A brief look at each cities prospects:
PyeongChang
Not to be confused with Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, this South Korean city is considered a favorite. The bid came three votes shy of winning the 2010 games, and as the IOC tends to reward persistence, it may come out the winner. PyeongChang leads the field in terms of government support. On the other hand, the venue plan is somewhat sprawled out, though still well-organized and well-connected by public transportation.
Salzburg
The birthplace of Mozart and setting for the ever-popular The Sound of Music, Salzburg is nestled in the Alps near the German border. Salzburg came in last of the finalists in the 2010 bid, and has since then solved many of the bid’s problems, most notably compacting the placement of venues (interestingly, the bobsled/luge venue is actually in Germany). Among other elements, this resulted in the IOC review board giving Salzburg its highest marks in 9 of the 11 areas studied. Government and public support is the lowest of the three, so expect some moves to change this.
Sochi
The relative newcomer, Sochi is ‘Russia’s leading vacation spot’, according to the bid’s website, located on the coast of the Black Sea. The city applied for the 2002 games but failed to make it to candidate status. The backbone of the bid is the planned Krasnaya Polyana ski resort, located 30 miles away from Sochi proper. Sochi’s best traits are the high amount of public support and the abundance of accommodations for both athletes and spectators.
The next step? Each city has until January 7, 2007 to submit a multi-volume ‘bid book’ detailing every last aspect of their plan: temporary and permanent venues, transportation, security, accommodations, and more. But alas, the winner will not likely be the one most qualified. Politics and (of all things) geography can play an all too important role in the selection as well.
While it may seem silly, Salzburg’s placement in Europe may hurt it. The unwritten rule is that, preferably, no consecutive games should take place on the same continent. Having just come off the 2012 summer games in London, some IOC members may be hesitant to give the subsequent games to a European city. In fact, the main reason Salzburg lost the 2010 bid was to increase the chances of a 2012 games in Europe. At the same time, Salzburg’s slight lead may balance out this prejudice.
As for the unlucky four cities that didn’t make the cut, the IOC stated, “It is important to state that the [Committee’s] conclusion applies only to 2014. Some of the cities assessed as not having the capacity at this time may well have the potential to host a future Olympic Winter Games.” There’s hope after all.
In any event, a lot can (and will!) change between now and the IOC’s final decision in Guatemala City next July. To the winner be the spoils.
Additional information:
Sochi 2014 official site, www.Sochi2014.com
Salzburg 2014 official site, www.Salzburg2014.com/en
PyeongChang 2014 official site, www.PyeongChang2014.org/eng
IOC Evaluation Report, multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1073.pdf
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