By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

October 28 - A plenary session of the Rhône-Alpes Regional Government has voted to back Annecy's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics and pledged to provide hundreds of millions Euros in financial support.


The Rhône-Alpes Region, represented by its President Jean-Jack Queyranne, claimed that the bid fulfilled several important criteria, including hosting a major event while protecting the environment.

If Annecy is selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ahead of rivals Munich and Pyeongchang, the Rhône-Alpes Region has undertaken to invest €50 million (£47 million/$70 million) in creating sustainable sporting infrastructure at the venues and another €170 million (£148 million/$235 million) to help access to the venues, accelerating modernisation and development of the Savoie and Haute-Savoie rail network.

They have also promised to specifically set aside €5 million (£4 million/$7 million)  for organising the Paralympic Games.

They will also work to promote eco-villages, which after the Games will evolve into social continuity initiatives and lodgings for seasonal workers.
 
The Regional Government, who have been a partner of Annecy's bid since last year, will now work to involve the region’s youth in the bid, in particular by implementing educational programmes and awareness campaigns targeting secondary schools.

"The Region is fully committed to contributing to popular and collective support surrounding Annecy 2018, to create an authentic Olympics, in phase with the grandeur of our natural environment," said Queyranne, who is also President of the Annecy 2018 Finance Committee. 

"The 2018 Annecy Games will establish a new standard for meeting environmental challenges and promoting a new model for mountain sport and tourism in the 21st Century."

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