Olympic Committee head 'happy' with narrowing list for 2026 Winter Games

LAUSANNE

IOC President Thomas Bach says the Olympic body is satisfied with the 2026 Winter Games hosting race, despite two bids dropping out in recent weeks.

Austrian Olympic officials withdrew a project centered on Graz this month, and voters in Switzerland rejected Sion’s planned bid last month.

The International Olympic Committee is still in talks with five possible candidates: Turin and Milan in Italy; Stockholm; Erzurum, Turkey; Calgary, Canada; and Sapporo, Japan.

Bach says, "We are pretty happy with the status of this candidature procedure."

The IOC leader suggests fewer than five will be on the ballot paper when IOC members pick the host in October 2019 in Milan.

Bach says cities unlikely to win could be advised against committing time and expense to remain in the race.