IOC pares list to 3; Salzburg favored

Pyeongchang, South Korea and Sochi, Russia are also finalists.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- A traditional Alpine setting in the heart of Europe. A burgeoning winter sports center in east Asia. A lush sea and mountain resort on the Black Sea.
That's the lineup for the 2014 Winter Olympics after the IOC executive board pared the field Thursday to three finalists -- Salzburg, Austria; Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Sochi, Russia.
Eliminated from the race were Almaty, Kazakhstan; Borjomi, Georgia; Jaca, Spain, and Sofia, Bulgaria.
Salzburg finished first in the IOC's technical ratings and is the clear early front-runner.
While the cut was made by the Olympics' 15-member ruling body, the full 100-plus IOC assembly will select the host city in Guatemala City on July 4, 2007.
Salzburg, Pyeongchang and Sochi all had been expected to make the final list. The main question was whether Almaty would get in as a fourth candidate.
"It was not a question of quantity, it was a question of quality," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.
By all accounts, board members were split on whether to accept Almaty and only agreed to pick three finalists after lengthy discussions.
"It was a very good debate, but in the end we decided to go for three," Norwegian board member Gerhard Heiberg said. "Three of them are totally qualified in every respect. We know we are safe. All three will be very good organizers."
What's next
The cities making the cut have to pay a $500,000 fee to cover the bidding process, and will be required to submit their formal bid books by January 2007.
The board based its decision in part on a written report compiled by IOC experts evaluating 11 different criteria, including sports venues, security, financing and government support.
Salzburg came out on top in the overall ratings with a score between 8 and 9 out of 10. Pyeongchang was second with a figure straddling 7-8, with Sochi next at 6-7. Almaty was fourth at 5-6, followed by Jaca 4-5, Sofia 3-4 and Borjomi 2-3.
Salzburg rated first in nine of the 11 categories, lagging only in government support (fourth) and transportation (second).
Salzburg bid leader Fedor Radmann sought to downplay the Austrian city's top status.
"We are not the favorite," he said. "We don't like this feeling. We won't talk about the others."
Salzburg and Pyeongchang were finalists in the vote for the 2010 Olympics, which were awarded to Vancouver, British Columbia. The little-known Korean bid finished a surprising second, and the Austrian city third.
Change of plans
Salzburg has put forward a more compact bid in trying to bring the games to Austria for the first time since 1976 in Innsbruck.
"Last time we put too much weight on culture and Mozart," Radmann said, referring to promotional efforts emphasizing the city's fame as the birthplace of the composer. "This time, we are putting sports and athletes at the heart of the bid."
Pyeongchang, in Korea's Gangwon Province, is hoping to build on its momentum from the first bid to establish itself as an Asian winter sports capital, and promote peace on the divided Korean peninsula.
"Pyeongchang is unique in that we are located in Asia and we will be able to expand the Olympic movement in our part of the world better than the other two cities," bid chairman Han Seung-hoo said.
Sochi is attempting to bring the Winter Olympics to Russia for the first time. The Russian government has thrown its full weight behind the bid, including a $12 billion investment package.
Located at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains range along a stretch of coastline, Sochi is Russia's top summer destination. It is on the same latitude as Nice, France, and has been dubbed the Caucasus Riviera because of its mild climate and scenic views.
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