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Olympic bid cities make final pitch for votes

 

Olympic bid cities make final pitch for votes

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AOC
Olympic bid cities make final pitch for votes

The three cities bidding to host the 2014 Winter Olympics have made their final presentations to the IOC members in Guatemala.

Pyeongchang, Sochi and Salzburg will know their fate later today when the IOC members select the successful candidate.

Russia is vying to host their first ever Winter Olympic Games at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The three cities bidding to host the 2014 Winter Olympics have made their final presentations to the IOC members in Guatemala.

Pyeongchang, Sochi and Salzburg will know their fate later today when the IOC members select the successful candidate.

Russia is vying to host their first ever Winter Olympic Games at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The Russian leader Vladimir Putin headed up their presentation.

Speaking in English before the IOC members in Guatemala he said millions of Russians were united behind the Olympics.

Sochi he said would have real snow and no traffic jams.

The Olympic swimming champion and IOC member Alexander Popov also spoke in support of the Russian bid promising to work hard to make Sochi’s Games unforgettable.

The Austrian Prime Minister Alfred Gusenbauer focused on security when backing Salzburg’s bid.

“Austria is recognised as the safest country in the world” he said. Gusenbauer promised to combat doping and applauded the IOC’s zero tolerance policy to drugs in sport.

“We will support the IOC 100% to root out this cancer” he said. Six Austrian athletes were banned from the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics for doping an incident described as a “disgrace” by Gusenbauer today.

The doping incident hurt Salzburg’s bid but the Austrian city remains the favourite with the athletes.

Polls show the athletes clearly prefer Salzburg ahead of the other contenders.

Pyeongchang pledged an “athletes first” Games which will promote peace and harmony and expand Winter sports across Asia.

All three presentations have focused heavily on inspiring youth to participate in sport.

Pyeongchang representatives claimed a win for them would help with the unification of North and South Korea.

They urged the IOC members to vote for Pyeongchang and help lift “ the barbed wire between our two countries”.

“Pyeongchang will help break down the wall dividing the two Koreas.” Mike Tancred in Guatemala AOC

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