IOC to announce decision on 2018 Olympic Games in Durban on July 6
Berchtesgaden (pps) During their session in Durban, South Africa, the members of the International Olympic Committee, IOC, will determine the host of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games on July 6, 2011. The three bid cities are – in alphabetical order – Annecy/France, Munich/Germany and Pyeongchang/South Korea.
The XXIII Olympic Winter Games will likely be carried out on February 9-25, 2018.
Annecy plans to stage the luge, bob and skeleton events on the artificially refrigerated track in La Plagne, already host of Olympic competitions during the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville. The Viessmann Luge World Cup has already made three stops in the French Alps, for the last time on December 9-10, 2000. The winners then were Silke Kraushaar (GER), Armin Zoeggeler (ITA) and Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch (GER).
Munich is planning with the artificial track in Koenigssee. The worldwide oldest artificially refrigerated track has been extensively renovated at an expenditure of about 20 million euro in the 2010-2011 season. Having carried out 30 Viessmann Luge World Cup events Koenigssee is the record holder as World Cup host. Additionally, five FIL Luge World Championships (1969, 1970, 1974, 1979 and 1999) have been organised in Koenigssee.
Pyeongchang plans to build a new track in the so-called “Alpensia Cluster”, also venue of the events in biathlon, ski jumping, Alpine and Nordic Skiing. Should Pyeongchang win the bid, the building work on the track will start right away. In the presence of FIL President Josef Fendt the first luge start has already opened last winter.
