May 18, 2011 (Lausanne, Switzerland) – One of the most important steps in the bidding process to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games got under way when the three candidate cities – Munich (GER), Annecy (FRA) and PyeongChang (KOR) – made presentations to members of the IOC at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on Wednesday.

The 2018 Candidate Cities’ Briefing for IOC members will conclude on Thursday with each city meeting separately with them. The cities will have the opportunity to answer follow-up questions about their projects in the morning, followed by questions with media in the afternoon.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “Today all three cities made impressive presentations. For the past decade, a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work has been invested by the IOC to improve the evaluation process. We believe that we now have in place a sophisticated procedure, and the technical briefings provide an excellent opportunity for IOC members and Candidate Cities alike. This meeting gives the IOC members greater clarity concerning each city’s bid, which is crucial for them when making their evaluations and ultimately, the most informed decision possible in July.”

The election of the host city of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will take place on July 6, 2011 during the 123rd IOC Session in Durban (RSA).