The Alpine town of Annecy was chosen by the French National Olympic Committee on Wednesday to be the country's candidate to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The Alpine town of Annecy was chosen by the French National Olympic Committee on Wednesday to be the country's candidate to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Annecy won on a first round of voting by committee members over rivals Nice, Grenoble and Pelvoux. The town has never before staged the Olympics.
Next year's Winter Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada with the Russian city of Sochi holding the 2014 Winter Olympics.
France has previously hosted three Winter Games, in 1992 in Albertville, in 1968 in Grenoble, and in Chamonix in 1924, but missed out on its bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, won by London.
Annecy, with a population of 50,000 and famous for its lake, nestles next to mountains that are home to some of the finest skiing in the Alps at La Clusaz, Le Grand Bornand, Megeve and Chamonix all of which will be part of the bid.
The town is linked to Paris by the high-speed TGV train and is 30 minutes away by road from Geneva International Airport.
The French National Olympic Committee must formalise the bid with the International Olympic Committee by October.
AFP
