June 22, 2010 (Lausanne, Switzerland) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that Munich (Germany), Annecy (France) and PyeongChang (Republic of Korea)* have all been selected as Candidate Cities to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The IOC Executive Board (EB), which took the decision unanimously this morning during its meeting in Lausanne, nonetheless asked Annecy to review its venue concept.

‘The Executive Board today decided that all three Applicant Cities deserved to move to the second phase of the bidding procedure,” said IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli. “It has been made clear, however, that Annecy needed to review its project. We look forward to working with the three Candidate Cities and wish them good luck for the year of competition ahead.”

The EB’s decision was based on a technical analysis of the Applicant Cities’ applications submitted earlier this year. The analysis and subsequent report was made by an IOC-appointed working group of Olympic Games experts who assessed each Applicant City’s potential for staging successful Olympic Winter Games in 2018. The technical assessment was based on a number of criteria, covering a variety of areas such as venues, transport, accommodation and security. Click here for the full report.

The three Candidate Cities now have until 11 January 2011 to submit their Candidature File to the IOC. These files will be analysed in detail by an IOC Evaluation Commission, which will also visit the Candidate Cities, before issuing a report no later than one month prior to the election. At this point of the bidding procedure, the EB has the possibility of narrowing down the number of cities which will be given the opportunity to present their project to the IOC Session. The cities will also take part in a technical briefing to IOC members in May. The final decision on the host city for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be made by the full IOC membership on 6 July 2011 in Durban, South Africa.

Please note: the Candidature Procedure and Questionnaire, which outlines the procedures, rules and deadlines to be respected until the election of the host city, as well as the in-depth questionnaire which Candidate Cities must respond to in their Candidature File, will be available on the IOC website as of tomorrow, www.olympic.org.

*Cities are listed in the order of drawing of lots.