2018 Winter Olympic Candidate Cities confirmed

[lexeoe]

11 different areas ?
Most of these resorts are less than 20 kms apart
Most of them can be called joined facilities like Méribel / Courchevel in one valley or La Plagne / Les Arcs / Tignes in the opposite one. There are even "téléphériques" between some of them.
There were indeed three different areas for different sports, it was a collective effort from "La Tarentaise" as we say. A way to spread the goods and limit the ill effects we had in Grenoble due to the 68 games.

Just about the same as Vancouver no ?

The only thing most of the environnementalist will beg to differ is due to the traffic inconvenience. Thanks to the game, there is more traffic, less (well sort of) jam. When I was a kid, it used to take us up to 6 hours to go to courchevel because of traffic jam, when it's supposed to be a 2 hours drive. Now it takes 1h30 min.
And environnementalists never thanked the games for helping closing one of the most atrocious plant ever in Moutiers, one that stinks so bad
Like they never thanked them for helping rebuild nearly all buildings in a way that doesn't make those resorts look like the "Côte d'Azur", a big cement block along the Méditerranée !

As for lack of conviviality, I will be blunt : Savoie (add Haute Savoir, Isère and probably Ain to that) isn't a very convivial place at all Or Grenoble either. They never smile, sometimes it feels like you are disturbing them. It's their home, their place, not those crazy tourists. What they hate the most are those arrogant parisians who pollute the mountains
The spreading of the games was more in terms of lodging for the athletes, as I was working as a volunteer I know the problem. Fact is the choice was made to lodge everyone on their competition site, and never reserve too much place in albertville. A choice you like or not.
They made a veeeerrrrrrrrryyyy big effort during those games to go against their natural trait. Some even discovered you could sell more when smiling

my post above according to the report, its stated "spread over 650 miles". been to vancouver thrice. my cousin used to live in richmond, pretty close to the speed skating oval and it won't take 20 mins from richmond to downtown vancouver. BC Place and GM Place are right beside each other. again, don't take it on me. take it on the report. i based it there and things that i've read. i was only 9 years old when albertville hosted.

[Frau Muller]

Europe has the next Winter Olys so I bet that Korea will host 2018. Yu-Na will be poster lady and I would not be surprised if she isn't involved in some major way - maybe even skate. By then, she may be aiming to tie Sonja Henie's & Irina Rodnina's record of 3 consecutive gold medals. Not out of the realm of possibility if she wants to stay in it (age 23 in 2014 and age 27 in 2018).

[care bear]

I just say "Go Munich". ))

[kirkbiggestfan]

If you're an Downhill Skiing fan, you're probably routing for the more challenging and tested slopes of France and Germany. The Korean ski resort was apparently opened in 2009 and still hasn't hosted a major international competition. Isn't it a little too early?

[smurfy]

Re - traffic
I lived in LA from 1982-1991 - and the LEAST amount of traffic during that time was during the 1984 Olympics. Many folks took vacations (or were scared away) and some worked from home. Now with the internet/pcs even more can work from home.

[Kelleys6th]

^^^ Same as Salt Lake 2002. Most people living in Park City (where ski, slide and snowboard events were held) left town before the games started. They don't like when the Sundance Film Festival comes every year - they leave then too.

[Rock2]

Korea will get it. Full stop. Reasons are:

*they came so close last few times. Sentiment will be in their favor
*they have a strong bid
*lots of money in SE Asia to put on a classy and well organized games
*geographic dispersion will lead the game there from Russia

[Rock2]

i still can't forget how PyeongChang nearly won over Vancouver. good thing after Salzburg was eliminated all votes went to Vancouver thus paving the way for what was to be an excellent games sans the weather and the death of nodar kumaritashvili which will always cast a dark cloud over Vancouver 2010.

Two things.

1. This is a normal voting dynamic. In 1996 there was Athens/non-Athens division among the voters. All along in the voting it was Athens-Atlanta-Toronto with Atlanta and Toronto neck and neck for 2 and 3. Toronto dropped out on second to last ballot and transferred votes to Atlanta, which won on the very last ballot, the only time it led.

2. No disrespect to the Georgian, but the death and the torch gaff certainly did get the games off to a rocky start. A few days later, though, neither were hardly mentioned as the games enjoyed a surge in energy and great competition. An outstanding recovery that I, for one, wasn't expecting...

[Rock2]

Great post lexeoe! I wonder how Brazil's games will turn out!

Well if this doesn't make you want to buy a ticket tomorrow, I'm not sure what will. They'd have my vote right there...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TCoqZNesnM

[ebayj]

Well, I'm torn. Heaven knows, if you want something done really well, give it to a German. But I think Korea would be a wonderful host, they clearly have comethisclose before, and anything that might even remotely lessen tensions on the Korean peninsula is a good idea.

[walei]

Samaranch definitely abused his power and I maintain that he screwed Toronto from hosting in 2008 with his order that human rights record should not be included in the evaluation report in favor of a Beijing Games.

However they did give us a consolation prize with Vancouver 2010, also as a way to shut out Toronto from 2012 as a major threat against European bids... Which turned out great! Vancouver 2010 will be known as one of the most passionate games of celebration ever, summer or winter.

I think Pyongchang should get 2018 though... they were so close the last two times and geopolitics this time favor the Koreans.

[lexeoe]

Two things.

1. This is a normal voting dynamic. In 1996 there was Athens/non-Athens division among the voters. All along in the voting it was Athens-Atlanta-Toronto with Atlanta and Toronto neck and neck for 2 and 3. Toronto dropped out on second to last ballot and transferred votes to Atlanta, which won on the very last ballot, the only time it led.

correction, Atlanta led the 2nd to the last ballot before winning it 51-35.

Other than that, i'll go for efficiency and proven track record. that is Germany and Munich. they sell out events and its certain they'll also be able to provide a really good atmosphere. i still can't forget the boxing debacle of seoul 1988 (roy jones cheated out of an obvious gold medal in favor of the korean) as a reason for me not to support any Korean bids. personally PC's best chance was 2014 if it wasn't for putin showing up in guatemala city they probably would've won.

[lexeoe]

Well, I'm torn. Heaven knows, if you want something done really well, give it to a German. But I think Korea would be a wonderful host, they clearly have comethisclose before, and anything that might even remotely lessen tensions on the Korean peninsula is a good idea.

PC for 2010 and 2014 had used the bringing peace to the Korean peninsula argument and it didn't get them the games. pundits are saying me included that they must come up with a new argument aside from the peace in the korean peninsula as its becoming tiring hearing it from them all time. its already making their message stale and done to death.

[lexeoe]

Samaranch definitely abused his power and I maintain that he screwed Toronto from hosting in 2008 with his order that human rights record should not be included in the evaluation report in favor of a Beijing Games.

However they did give us a consolation prize with Vancouver 2010, also as a way to shut out Toronto from 2012 as a major threat against European bids... Which turned out great! Vancouver 2010 will be known as one of the most passionate games of celebration ever, summer or winter.

i fully agreed with this. i give props to toronto's bid team for pushing through despite the obvious outcome. had vancouver failed a letter of intent was ready for submission and will just be delivered to the IOC. it was just waiting for the results. however, i refused to call vancouver 2010 a consolation prize though it was definitely used to shut down a threat from north america. had toronto bidded (if vancouver failed) moscow or nyc will most likely not make the shortlist and them together with paris and london will be the sure front runners. but the commonwealth vote will be certainly divided.

[Asli]

my post above according to the report, its stated "spread over 650 miles".

That must be a typo lexeoe. It is physically impossible for the venues of the Albertville olympics to be spread over 650 miles. To the north, northeast and east, Albertville is less than 40 miles from the Swiss and Italian borders. To the west, south or even slightly northwest to avoid the Swiss border, you cannot even go 100 miles without reaching a zone with zero snow. Actually less to have decent slopes.

As Marie explained, the Albertville olympics had a very compact site - it had to be so because of the geography of the region. Here you can find a list of the venues. I don't know the exact distances but these are all very, very close to each other.

You say that the Albertville Olympics were not exclusive to one city whereas this year all was in Metro Vancouver. AFAIK Metro Vancouver area has more than two million inhabitants, and Albertville: eighteen thousand. The Alps do not allow for big cities in altitude. Neighbouring villages as near to each other as two miles have separate local governments. Please keep that in mind when you say that the Albertville olympics were spread to 11 different "areas".

The summer olympics have become so huge that I am glad at least the winter olympics can still be held in places of more "human scale" like Lillehammer and Albertville. A tiny city surrounded with mountain villages is a beautiful setting for winter sports. After all, nature plays the principal role in the winter olympics. So who needs a big city?

[lexeoe]

That must be a typo lexeoe. It is physically impossible for the venues of the Albertville olympics to be spread over 650 miles. To the north, northeast and east, Albertville is less than 40 miles from the Swiss and Italian borders. To the west, south or even slightly northwest to avoid the Swiss border, you cannot even go 100 miles without reaching a zone with zero snow. Actually less to have decent slopes.

As Marie explained, the Albertville olympics had a very compact site - it had to be so because of the geography of the region. Here you can find a list of the venues. I don't know the exact distances but these are all very, very close to each other.

You say that the Albertville Olympics were not exclusive to one city whereas this year all was in Metro Vancouver. AFAIK Metro Vancouver area has more than two million inhabitants, and Albertville: eighteen thousand. The Alps do not allow for big cities in altitude. Neighbouring villages as near to each other as two miles have separate local governments. Please keep that in mind when you say that the Albertville olympics were spread to 11 different "areas".

The summer olympics have become so huge that I am glad at least the winter olympics can still be held in places of more "human scale" like Lillehammer and Albertville. A tiny city surrounded with mountain villages is a beautiful setting for winter sports. After all, nature plays the principal role in the winter olympics. So who needs a big city?

650 miles was from the link a few pages back, that's my basis. i was nly 9 when albertville took place. but then after lillehammer, big cities have been hosting. even if its hard to admit it, the winter olympics are taking the summer route. bigger cities is now the trend. but i do hope i see another winter games in a town like lillehammer or sion but people are already conceding it may not happen anymore.

[Asli]

even if its hard to admit it, the winter olympics are taking the summer route. bigger cities is now the trend. but i do hope i see another winter games in a town like lillehammer or sion but people are already conceding it may not happen anymore.

Annecy 2018, maybe?

[cholla]

Considering I live 30 mn away from Annecy, I'd love the city to get the Olys. But I'm not holding my breath...

[lexeoe]

Annecy 2018, maybe?

not their time. they were practically last in the evaluation.

[allezfred]

not their time. they were practically last in the evaluation.

So was Rio.