Three Applicant Cities for 2018 Winter Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that three cities have been put forward by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to apply to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018. The cities, in alphabetical order, are: Annecy (France), Munich (Germany) and PyeongChang (Republic of Korea).*

NOCs had until 15 October 2009 to notify the IOC that a city within their jurisdiction was interested in applying.

The three Applicant Cities will now proceed to Phase 1 of the IOC’s two-step procedure, which will lead to the election of the 2018 host city in Durban, South Africa, in July 2011.

Phase 1, known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure, involves a thorough review by the IOC of each city’s potential to organise successful Olympic Winter Games in 2018. Cities are required to answer a questionnaire, and their answers are studied by the IOC. At the end of this first phase, the IOC Executive Board selects the cities that will become Candidate Cities and therefore move on to Phase 2.

During Phase 2, known as the Candidature Procedure, Candidate Cities will be requested to submit their Candidature File – which is an in-depth description of their Olympic and Paralympic project – and will be subject to a technical assessment made by a visiting team – the IOC Evaluation Commission, which includes an IPC representative. The IOC Evaluation Commission’s appraisal will be published in a report, and sent to the IOC members no later than one month before they cast their vote on 6 July 2011.

Information on the Candidature Acceptance Procedure, including the questionnaire to which Applicant Cities must respond by 15 March 2010 and the rules applicable to this process, can be found at www.olympic.org.

* The cities will be listed in alphabetical order until such time as the official drawing of lots is carried out by the IOC Executive Board. The order of drawing of lots will then be used until the election of the 2018 host city.