International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge told the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that although he had to study the seven cities bidding for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games – Almaty, Borjomi, Jaca, PyeongChang, Salzburg, Sochi and Sofia, – Salzburg and PyeongChang would be among the finalists because they bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. He added that he could not say at the moment how many cities would be on the short list.
Rogge also told the newspaper that a joint Olympic bid of Barcelona and the Pyrenees that could include the Cerdanya, the French Cerdanya and Andorra, would be “feasible”, keeping in mind the recent Turin Winter Games where the ice sports were concentrated between 1-1/2 and two hours away from the snow sports. He said it would take Olympic travellers about 90 minutes to drive from Barcelona and the Pyrenees.
Although Rogge considers Salzburg and PyeongChang finalists for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games the two cities are still busily working on their 2014 Olympic bids.
Gangwon provincial officials this week selected the firm to design two international-class ice rinks – one for figure skating and short-track speed skating and the other for ice hockey – to be built in two cities less than 45 minutes from PyeongChang by expressway that are well integrated into PyeongChang’s overall 2014 Winter Games bid plan. They would provide state-of-the-art venues for an array of international competitions including the 2014 Winter Games should PyeongChang win the competition said PyeongChang 2014 officials.
Bid officials said they will now step up efforts to launch construction of the rinks so they can be completed ahead of the IOC on-site inspection and evaluation.
Also four members from PyeongChang’s bid committee are at the Paralympic Games in Turin to inspect their facilities with the aim of improving PyeongChang’s bid and broadening Korea’s athletic base.
While in Turin the observers are studying Games management including competition venues, the Olympic Village, and broadcast facilities. They will also attend seminars arranged by the International Olympic Committee.
Meanwhile Salzburg’s Mayor Heinz Schaden introduced Salzburg 2014’s new bid leader at a news conference Tuesday.
Radmann said, “we have to show the world that we want these Winter Games. We have very good chances but we have to be cautious about putting ourselves in the role of favourites”.
Vancouver won the bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games while PyeongChang came in a close second and Salzburg was in third place.
