The Chinese city of Harbin has given up on its plan to bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics after the central government said it was “premature”.

The application by the northern metropolis was declined by China’s General Administration of Sport late last month, an official in the city’s sports bureau said.

“GAS suggested Harbin not launch the bid for the 2018 Winter Games because there was very little chance of success,” Li Chunlei, told Reuters.

Munich is one of three cities to have launched a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee confirmed.

Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, is aiming to become the first German city to host the winter Games since Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936.

Also bidding is the South Korean city of Pyeongchang, which lost out to Vancouver and Sochi for the right to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games.

The French city of Annecy is the other candidate. The winning venue will be selected in 2011.

http://www.muenchen2018.org/

South Korea have formally submitted their bid for Pyeongchang to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Pyeongchang narrowly failed in bids to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games but the South Korean Olympic Commitee is hoping for third time lucky.

“It is an honour to submit the application to the International Olympic Committee in support of the South Korean government and the KOC,” the bidding committee said.

It seems the French Olympic committee is considering ditching Morzine/Avoriaz from the official Annecy 2018 winter olympic bid as the ski station is considered to be ‘too far’ from Annecy.