 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
'The Sound of Winter Sports' Salzburg submits bid for 2010 OlympicsPosted: Friday January 10, 2003 9:23 AMVIENNA (Reuters) -- The Austrian city of Salzburg submitted a bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics just ahead of Friday's deadline after the Austrian government stepped in with a last-minute offer of financial guarantees. The bid had always had public support with a 2002 survey showing two thirds of Salzburg's citizens positive about the prospect of hosting the Games. But a financial stumbling block was only averted Thursday when Austria's government stepped in with assurances it would cover any shortfall in the US$900 million budget, satisfying local politicians who were worried the games could bankrupt the city. After the federal guarantee came in, the city council voted Thursday to submit the bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). "Everything is going according to plan," said Leo Wallner, president of Austria's Olympic committee. "Salzburg will score points as a culture festival." He said rival bidder Vancouver had problems with transport links and could be undermined by fellow Canadian city Toronto bidding for the 2012 Summer Games, while tensions in North Korea could hamper South Korean bidder Pyeong Chang. Salzburg, Austria's fourth largest city, is used to accommodating the hordes of tourists drawn by its spectacular Alpine setting, its fame as the home of Mozart and as the backdrop for the 1960s musical film "The Sound of Music." The latter fact is acknowledged in the bid's slogan, "The Sound of Winter Sports." Austria has also been a regular host to ski World Cup events, drawing praise for efficient organization and enthusiastic attendance. In addition to the Salzburg region's 12 existing or soon to be completed facilities that cater mostly to skiing, the city plans to build eight new venues in Salzburg, Amade and Kitzbuehel to accommodate sports like ice hockey and curling. Following the same strategy as the recently successful Austria-Switzerland bid for the 2008 European football championship, Salzburg is hoping its place at the geographical center of Europe with good rail and air links with major continental capitals will work to its advantage. Austria hosted the Winter Games in 1964 and 1976, both times in Innsbruck. The last Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Utah last year and the 2006 Games will be hosted by the Italian city of Turin.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
