Pyeongchang, Annecy & Munich Make 2018 Winter Games shortlist

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board has accepted all three applicant cities â Annecy, France; Munich, Germany and Pyeongchang, South Korea - as official bid cities for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

All three cities have been campaigning on a low-key basis since October last year. Now accepted as finalists, they will be permitted to launch more visible international lobbying efforts.

The announcement in Lausanne represents the fewest number of Winter Games bids since 1981, when three finalists competed for the 1988 Olympics, awarded to Calgary.

Pyeongchang is bidding for a third consecutive time after losing out to Vancouver for 2010 and Sochi for 2014. The Savoy lakeside resort of Annecy is making its first Olympic bid while Munich, which staged the 1972 Summer Olympics, aims to become the first city to host both the summer and winter games.

An anticipated bid from the Chinese city of Harbin did not eventuate. Chinese political and sporting officials having apparently been deterred by the global scrutiny that accompanied their hosting of the 2008 summer Olympic Games.

The three bid cities will have to submit detailed bid proposals to the IOC by 11th January 2011 after which an IOC evaluation commission will visit each city. The full IOC will select the 2018 host by secret ballot at its session in Durban, South Africa, on 6th July 2011.