Korean City Gets Backing

The race to be host of the 2010 Winter Games is on in earnest.

Voters in a referendum at Vancouver, Canada, favored seeking the Games. Bidders in Salzburg, Austria, released a poll showing public backing; and an International Olympic Committee task force gave high marks to Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The import of the developments, according to a number of IOC officials, is that what had been seen as a two-way race -- between Vancouver and Salzburg -- has become a three-way competition.

The outcome, to be decided in July at an all-delegates IOC session in Prague, Czech Republic, may be a key factor in the selection of the host city for the 2012 Summer Games. New York is the U.S. candidate for those Games.

The IOC will pick the 2012 site in 2005, and a host of 2010 issues may impact New York’s 2012 chances. Some believe a Vancouver win might preempt a U.S. Games in 2012; others suggest Vancouver and New York could complement each other. Still others believe that the IOC, its membership dominated by Europeans, is generally interested in keeping the Games, Summer and Winter, in Europe as often as possible. Both the 2004 and 2006 Games will be in Europe -- 2004 in Athens, 2006 in Turin, Italy. The 2008 Summer Games will be held in Beijing.

In Vancouver, 64% of voters said they supported the city’s 2010 bid, city officials announced late Saturday night. The IOC president, Jacques Rogge, had suggested last week that at least 60% of Vancouver voters needed to vote “yes” for the Games.

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said late Sunday, “It’s a good vote.”

City and bid officials were exultant. Referendums have a history of quashing cities’ bids -- including Bern, Switzerland, a few months ago. Voters in Denver said no to the Games in the 1970s. John Furlong, president of the Vancouver bid, said Saturday’s election marked “a special day,” adding officials hope one day to look back on it as a defining “moment in time for us.”

Clearly aiming to preempt Vancouver’s election result, Salzburg officials late last week released a poll showing 83% of local residents “in favor” of the Games. Pyeongchang claims more than 95% support. Public opinion polls are a typical element in a Games bid; candidate cities typically tout high support figures. Vancouver’s is the only 2010 bid to utilize a formal vote.

The IOC’s bid evaluation team is due to visit Vancouver next week and Salzburg beginning March 13. Gerhard Heiberg, a Norwegian IOC member heading the task force, gave Pyeongchang a significant boost last week by saying that the Korean entry enjoyed strong governmental support and had -- or could develop -- needed infrastructure.

South Korea, in concert with Japan, staged last year’s World Cup soccer tourney. Seoul played host to the 1988 Summer Games.