The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide on the
first day of its annual session on Wednesday whether to award the Games to
Pyeongchang or to one of its two European rivals, Annecy of France or Germany's
Munich.
The South Koreans go into the home straight as favorites but
they have come agonizingly close twice before, only to be overtaken at the
final hurdle.
Eight years ago, Pyeongchang surprisingly garnered 51 votes
in the first round of voting to lead clearly from favorites Vancouver, which
had 40, with third candidate Salzburg from Austria collecting only 16.
But candidates have to have a clear majority and after Salzburg's
elimination, most of its votes went to Vancouver which won the right to stage
the 2010 Olympics on a 56-53 vote in the second round.
Four years ago as favorites against Salzburg and the Russian
Black Sea resort of Sochi, Pyeongchang won the first round again, picking up 36
votes to 34 for the Russians and 25 to the Austrians.
But again Salzburg's votes swung mainly to Pyeongchang's
rivals and the Koreans lost the second round by 51-47 as Sochi was awarded the
2014 Games.
The three candidates are making their final pitches to win
votes as IOC members gather in the South African port of Durban to make their
choice.
Almost everyone privately concedes or accepts that
Pyeongchang should lead after the first round for a third time. But with Munich
expected to come second, the Koreans have to fear they will once again fail to
get an overall majority and that Annecy's votes will then swing to
fellow-Europeans Munich.
There has been little sign that voting intentions have
changed much in the final days of the campaign though members traditionally
keep their cards close to their chests, making accurate forecasting as firm as
powder snow.
Most observers are speculating on a scenario in which
Pyeongchang would get up to 50 first round votes, Munich around 30-35 and
Annecy from 12 to 15.
It may well be touch-and-go, a matter of two or three votes,
whether Pyeongchang has enough to win the first round outright. If the voting
goes to a second round, the Koreans will inevitably fear the worst.
Publicly, it is not just Pyeongchang delegates who want to
avoid talking about first round numbers. Munich knows its only chance is to
make it through to a second round and Annecy is afraid of failing to secure a
respectable total of votes.
The Koreans, pitching to be the winter sports hub of Asia,
have wheeled out a political heavy in the form of the country's president Lee
Myung-bak and lightened the mood with the charm of women's Olympic figure
skating champion Kim Yuna who appeared on Durban's ice rink on Tuesday in front
of her local fans.
Munich, whose bid is led by their own celebrity figure
skating Olympic champion in Katarina Witt, brought in former soccer great Franz
Beckenbauer on Tuesday to bolster its efforts. It also has national president
Christian Wulff in its presentation team.
If Munich won the vote, it would become the first city to
stage both the Summer and Winter Games.
Annecy, which is relying on the charm of its region's high
class Alpine resorts and scenery, is operating on a relatively low budget.
French sports minister Chantal Jouanno came in to talk up the bid on the final
day of the campaign and Prime Minister Francois Fillon is also part of the bid
team.
Munich will be the first delegation to make its 70-minute
presentation to the IOC on Wednesday, followed by Annecy and Pyeongchang.
Members begin voting at 1335 GMT with the announcement of
the winner being made by IOC President Jacques Rogge in a live television
ceremony starting at 1500 GMT.
