Poland prepares joint bid with Slovakia for Winter Olympics

Zakopane: photo - wikipedia

Documentation concerning the proposals has been submitted to Poland's Minister of Sport, Joanna Mucha.

According to the plan, the former royal capital of Krakow, southern Poland, would host the opening and closing ceremonies of the event.

Krakow would also host the majority of the events played on ice, while Zakopane, Poland's winter capital, would handle snowboarding, cross country skiing and the biathlon.

Slovakia would organise a number of skiing events, while also hosting a portion of the ice hockey fixtures.

Meanwhile, a letter of intent has been signed by the heads of the Olympic committees of Poland and Slovakia.

According to the documentation submitted to Minister Mucha, the official candidacy declaration would be made in 2013.

Other possible candidates include St Moritz, Oslo, Barcelona, Nice and Lviv.

The host will ultimately be chosen in Kuala Lumpur in August 2015, during the 127th session of the International Olympic Committee.

Although Poland regularly organises sections of international winter sports events, it has never hosted the Winter Olympics. (nh)