(ATR) IOC Evaluation Commission chair Gunilla Lindberg tells Around the Rings that the 2018 bid cities briefing in May is massively important for the three bidders in the race for the 2018 Winter Games.
"I think it's a very important meeting because it's the first chance that members really have the possibility to ask questions," she told ATR at the IOC's wrap-up press conference Friday following a four-day inspection of the Munich bid.
The IOC told ATR Monday that the 11-member evaluation commission was scheduled to meet again "very soon" for a debrief, crafting a final report. The commission visited Munich, Annecy and PyeongChang in the past month, spending five days in each city.
Lindberg and her colleagues will crystallize their collective thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the bids across the 17 themes in the bid books.
(A report from ATR on March 6 incorrectly reported that the commission was meeting now in Lausanne.)
The commission's report is due to be published on May 10, one week ahead of the IOC Bid Cities Briefing May 18-19 in Lausanne. The intention is to help IOC members to gain a better understanding of the bid concepts they will be reviewing. It’s the first time the report will be released ahead of the technical briefing. It's only the second such meeting of Olympic bids and the IOC membership ahead of a host city vote.
"It is very important to have the report ready before the meeting to make sure everyone can read and study it in order to present their questions to the bids," Lindberg told ATR.
After the IOC Evaluation Commission visits, the Lausanne briefing is seen by Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang as the most important milestone in the next few months of international campaigning before the IOC vote in Durban on July 6.
Two years ago, the Rio 2016 Olympic bid gained significant momentum in the final months of their international campaign at the first bid cities briefing.
It was regarded as a game-changing moment in the 2016 race, especially when IOC member and bid president Carlos Nuzman presented his colleagues with a world map which showed that no Olympics had ever been staged in South America.
Milestones on the Road to the 2018 Olympics Vote
April 6-7–presentations at SportAccord
May 10–Evaluation Commission Report released
May 17-18 –Technical briefings for the IOC in Lausanne
July 6 – IOC votes in Durban
Written by Mark Bisson
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