Despite rumours that Salzburg had been informally advised by the Austrian Olympic Committee that the city will be selected Austria’s candidate for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, a source told GamesBids.com that this was not true.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dr. Leo Wallner, long time President of the Austrian Olympic Committee, visited Innsbruck last week for the grand re-opening of the modernized Olympic Stadium, host of the Winter Universiade’s ice hockey tournament next January and the 2005 IIHF World Championship next spring.
In meeting formally with high-level representatives of Innsbruck and the Tyrol who talked about their commitment to bid for the 2014 Winter Games, Dr. Walner denied the rumours. He said, “I don’t believe in rumours. As I personally don’t know about such an arrangement I can clearly say there is none”.
Dr. Wallner said that the board of the Austrian Olympic Committee would decide on the 2014 candidate very soon, possibly in January.
Meanwhile, Austrian Federal Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang Schussel told the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation last week, “I have no information that the Austrian NOC has already decided upon their applicant city for 2014. I read the news that the support in Salzburg seems to be mediocre. If you are not pushing yourself to the limit you will not have a chance at all”.
