Sofia to bid again if 2014 Games candidature fails

SOFIA, June 15 (Reuters) Sofia will bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics if the Bulgarian capital fails to make the shortlist for the 2014 Games, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) said today.

''I'm optimistic about our chances of reaching the last four,'' said BOC president Stefka Kostadinova. ''We deserve to stay in the competition.'' Sofia is competing with Salzburg in Austria, South Korea's Pyeongchang, Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, Jaca in Spain, Almaty in Kazakhstan and Georgia's Borjomi for the 2014 Games.

The International Olympic Committee is scheduled to announce a shortlist of four candidates next week before deciding the winner in July next year.

''It will be a big success if we progress to the second round.

But if we don't, we'll immediately prepare our documents for a Sofia 2018 Winter Games bid,'' said Kostadinova, who still holds the women's world high-jump record.

The Bulgarian goverment has pledged to modernise the country's transport infrastructure whether or not the 2014 Games are awarded to Sofia.

REUTERS PM PM1556