IOC inspection chief lauds Salzburg's 2014 bid

The head of a team of Olympic inspectors praised Salzburg's bid to host the 2014 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday, citing the region's experience, infrastructure and strong government support.

SALZBURG, Austria — The head of a team of Olympic inspectors praised Salzburg's bid to host the 2014 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday, citing the region's experience, infrastructure and strong government support.
    Salzburg, a traditional winter sports region, is competing against the Russian city of Sochi and Pyeongchang, a provincial ski resort in South Korea. The winner will be selected July 4 at an International Olympic Committee assembly in Guatemala City.
    ''Winter sports is a tradition of both Austria and Germany and they have already hosted so many important games and competitions,'' Chiharu Igaya said. ''So we have full confidence in them organizing wonderful games.''
    Igaya was talking to reporters at the end of a four-day evaluation visit during which inspectors toured proposed venue sites and heard presentations on 17 themes covered in the bid book.
    Eight of Salzburg's 11 proposed venues already exist, including one in Schoenau am Koenigssee in neighboring Germany.
    Over the past few days, Salzburg's bid promoters, including Olympic downhill champion Franz Klammer, have played up the region's experience in hosting and organizing major international sports events and stressed that much of the necessary infrastructure is already in place.
    Officials also highlighted the compact nature of the bid and Austria's ranking as a safe country.
    Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Finance Minister Wilhelm Molterer said Friday that Salzburg's bid was financially secure.
    Austria hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, both times in the Tyrollean city of Innsbruck. Salzburg mounted a failed bid for the 2010 Games, and finished third behind winner Vancouver and Pyeongchang.
    The bid committee said it used the IOC's 2010 evaluation commission report as a blueprint for the 2014 bid.
    Salzburg emerged as the early front-runner in June when the IOC executive board announced the three-city short list for the 2014 Winter Games. Salzburg rated first in nine out of 11 categories, lagging only in government support and transportation.

    — The Associated Press