By Nick Butler

Each of the cities will participate via video link before being assessed by the IOC in Lausanne ©AFP/Getty ImagesA latest test in the five-horse race to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics occurs tomorrow as each presents their bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).


As explained in a letter, seen by insidethegames, sent to each of the applicants - Almaty, Beijing, Kraków, Lviv and Oslo - the day will consist of a 15 minute presentation by each followed by a question and answer session.

Following a technical rehearsal today the conferences will take place via video-link tomorrow, with each city having the opportunity to include a three minute video within their presentation. 

The conference is meant to be of a purely technical nature "to clarify any open questions to ensure the Working Group has a full understanding of the project", with the emphasis on a "friendly working environment with no formal protocol".

This will be followed by a question and answer session during which the 2022 Working Group, appointed by IOC President Thomas Bach last month, will be able to ask any questions following analysis of the Application Files.

Each presentation will occur separately, with the rival cities not permitted to view each others video-conferences.

The conference marks the latest stage in a process which began last December with a Orientation Seminar in Lausanne ©IOC/Richard JuilliartThe conference marks the latest stage in a process which began last December with a Orientation Seminar in Lausanne ©IOC/Richard Juilliart





This comes at a difficult stage in the 2022 contest, at a time when the bids of three out of the five Applicants are on the ropes after a series of setbacks. 

Kraków's bid is facing a referendum on May 25 where the citizens of the Polish city make a "Yes/No" decision over whether it will go ahead, with a survey last week finding that 58 per cent of respondents across Poland oppose bidding for the Games.

Oslo's bid is still struggling for support from the Norwegian public and the Government, and suffered a further blow at the weekend after the Progress Party, the minority in the coalition Government, voted against supporting the bid at their National Congress. 

With unrest in Ukraine showing no sign of relenting, Lviv's bid has been on the back-burner since February and last month officials admitted that this will remain the case until after the Ukrainian Presidential Elections on May 25. 

A spokesman for Lviv's 2022 bid has confirmed to insidethegames today that, despite this decision, the city will participate in tomorrow's conference. 

Given all of this, the remaining two bids of Almaty and Beijing have been enduring a quieter and more successful time, and they will welcome the opportunity to reiterate to the IOC they are the safest and most suitable candidates. 

From the presentations, the IOC and the 2022 Working Group will analyse the files of each before producing a technical report to assist the IOC's ruling Executive Board with its selection of an unspecified number of the Candidate cities, taking place in Lausanne from July 8 and 9. 

Visits will then be made to each by the IOC Evaluation Commission before the winning city is revealed at the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia on July 31 2015.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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