Race for 2018 Youth Olympics Goes to the Wire

(ATR) Around the Rings understands the race for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games is too close to call as the IOC prepares to cut the field.

Buenos Aires, Glasgow, Guadalajara, Medellin and Rotterdam are the candidates vying to stage the third summer YOG.

With the IOC Executive Board due to shortlist contenders at a Feb. 12-13 meeting, ATR is told by a Lausanne source there are no clear frontrunners in the field.

The YOG 2018 working group led by Athletes’ Commission chair Claudia Bokel has finished its job of evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the five bids. The report going before the IOC EB next month does not recommend the best city to stage the 2018 YOG; they are all deemed capable, although some more than others.

Last week, Rotterdam 2018’s candidacy was revived when the Dutch government agreed to underwrite the $100 million cost of holding the Games.

"We now have the guarantees of the government," a relieved Dutch NOC president Andre Bolhuis tells ATR. "We have sent the guarantees to the Executive Board of the IOC."

He added: "I am happy about the situation. It's very important to the Netherlands and Rotterdam."

Rotterdam’s YOG hopes were under threat when its bid book was submitted to the IOC in October without the guarantees. Talks in December with the new Dutch coalition government eventually led to the bid securing full governmental support.

After two summer YOG in Asia – Singapore in 2010, Nanjing in 2014 – Bolhuis said: "I hope they will bring it to Europe for the first time."

He added: "Glasgow is an excellent candidate, but Britain had the Olympic Games and now Commonwealth Games."

The IOC EB is expected to cut at least one city from the field at next month’s meeting.

"The IOC Executive Board will meet in February where YOG bid cities reports will be reviewed," the IOC says in a statement to ATR.

"It is at that point that a decision will be made on the next phase. The EB will take its decision based on the IOC working group's report on the five cities' projects. There is not a pre-determined number of cities that will go through to the next stage."

The IOC will elect a host July 4 in Lausanne.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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