French PM Boosts Annecy Bid by Welcoming IOC Commission

Francois Fillon, the Prime Minister of France, has pledged state support for Annecy’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation commission arrived in France yesterday, February 8, for its first inspection of the three candidate cities.

Fillon travelled to the city to welcome the 11 members of the commission, which will be shown technical presentations and will undertake site visits. The inspection will take place until Saturday, February 12,  before the commission makes further trips to the other two candidate cities of Munich in Germany and PyeongChang in South Korea.

Fillon told AFP: “I met the commission with the aim of convincing them of why our bid should win. On top of this I offered the total support of the state.

“The candidature file has excellent technical quality and is focused around the two legendary hubs of Chamonix – which hosted the first Winter Games in 1924 – and Annecy. We would organise an exceptional Winter Games under a theme of sustainable development and legacy.”