Bidding for the Games -- 2018 Cities Head to Vancouver

2018 Bids Head to Vancouver

Officials from the three bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics are traveling Vancouver in the coming days, aiming to make the most of the IOC Observer Program at the Games.

Delegations from Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang will learn lessons from the 2010 Olympics that will help to inform their applicant files due for submission to the IOC by March 15.

The Vancouver Games is also the first major opportunity for the bids to meet with the IOC membership to seek support for their campaigns.

Munich 2018 CEO Willy Bogner said: “We are embarking on a journey of friendship in Vancouver and we are excited to have the opportunity to demonstrate our Bavarian friendliness to the Olympic family.

He said the IOC Observer Program was “a unique chance to learn from the Olympic winter Games, before the IOC decides on the 2018 host city next year”.

Munich 2018 will be celebrating its ambassadors’ achievements at the German House in Vancouver where bid committee members will present their concept and vision.

Munich Mayor Christian Ude and Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer will also be actively promoting the bid during the Vancouver Games; they will be attending from Feb. 10-15 and Feb. 19-22 respectively.

Witt, who won the second of her Olympic gold medals in figure skating at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, believes Vancouver will stage an unforgettable winter Games.

“The Canadians are tremendous ice sports enthusiasts which is why I have always liked going to Canada. Sadly, I was never able to experience the Olympic Games in my own country, but I will be doing everything I can to help aspiring German athletes to live that dream in Munich in 2018,” she said.

Munich 2018 will have an office in Vancouver (where most of the international media are based) and in Whistler (where most of the German media will be based).

Annecy Seeks Bid Book Pointers

The Annecy 2018 Olympic bid tells Around the Rings its delegation will gain a lot from the IOC’s Observer Program.

“This program is a wonderful opportunity for the bid team to witness the behind-the-scenes organization of the Games and gain feedback to enhance the bid book,” bid spokeswoman Alexandra Carraz told ATR.

Newly appointed Annecy 2018 head Edgar Grospiron, an Olympic gold medalist at the Albertville Olympics, will lead the delegation with Christian Monteil, president of the Departmental Council of Haute-Savoie and the bid’sdeputy president.

Representatives from all levels of government and the French National Olympic Committee, including president Denis Masseglia, will be in attendance. The bid’s ambassadors will also be a visible presence.

A press conference will be held during the Games but no other specific events are planned. Some bid promotion will take place at the French Club in Vancouver.

“We consider being part of the Games is already a great chance to gain experience for our candidature file,” Carraz said.

Pyeongchang Sets Out Games Vision

Pyeongchang’s bid delegation is led by Yang Ho Cho and Governor Jin Sun Kim.

A press conference is taking place at the Vancouver 2010 Main Press Center on Monday from 11a-12pm.

Cho and Kim, along with other senior members of the bid committee, will present Korea’s bid vision and details of the proposed Games Plan.

The other bids are also planning to stage media briefings at the Main Press Center.

Poznan Increases YOG 2014 Budget

Poznan City Council voted this week to increase the Youth Olympic Games budget by more than 20 percent, adding an extra $15 million to the contingency section of the budget.

The Polish city’s YOG budget now stands at $80 million, with the city council restating that it would plug any potential shortfall .

“Our experience in hosting many major events in our city gives us confidence that we can deliver a magnificent Youth Olympic Games with the budget that we had allocated for this event,” Poznan Mayor Ryszard Grobelny said.

“However, to demonstrate our determination to the IOC that this city will do whatever it takes to host spectacular Games in 2014, we have decided to add an additional $15 million to our contingency budget.”

Grobelny said he had written a letter to the IOC offering assurances that awarding the 2014 YOG hosting rights to to Poznan would create “no risk whatsoever” for the IOC or the whole Olympic movement.

Nanjing, China is the only other bidder in the race for the Summer 2014 YOG. The first edition of the Games takes place in Singapore in August, with the inaugural winter version in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012.

The IOC will choose between Nanjing and Poznan for the 2014 YOG at the Session in Vancouver next week.

With reporting from Mark Bisson