The French Olympic Committee decided Wednesday to bid for the 2018 Winter Games. French cities have until mid-October to declare their interest, with Grenoble, Nice and Annecy among the expected contenders.
The French committee will select its candidate in March. The International Olympic Committee will choose the host city in 2011.
Norway held its last Winter Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994, while France last hosted the Winter Games in Albertville in 1992. Paris lost recent bids to host the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.
Norway's bid for an Olympics in Tromsø, however, also faces internal dissension at home. The cities of Oslo and Trondheim were miffed that they lost out to Tromsø, which many view as too remote, too expensive and even too small and dark in the winter to host such a huge international event. The sheer cost of an Olympics in Tromsø is the biggest stumbling block, and depends on a state funding guarantee that may be difficult to obtain.
Among other cities that have announced bids or interest in hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics are Pyeongchang, South Korea; Munich, Germany; Geneva and Reno-Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
