IOC vice president Igaya to head 2014 bid commission

ATHENS, Sep 4 (Reuters) The International Olympic Committee said today it had appointed its Vice President Chiharu Igaya of Japan to lead the commission evaluating bids from three cities vying to host the 2014 Winter Games.

South Korea's Pyeongchang, Austria's Salzburg and the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi have been shortlisted as candidates.

''As an Olympic medallist and current IOC vice president, (Igaya) has a great knowledge of the Olympic Movement and what it takes to organise the Olympic Winter Games,'' IOC President Jacques Rogge said in a statement.

''His experiences as a member of the Nagano 1998 Organising Committee and Chairman of the 2006 Evaluation Commission, together with the support of an experienced team, will be tremendous assets.'' Igaya became the first Japanese athlete to win a medal at the Winter Games when he won silver in the slalom in Cortina D'Ampezzo in 1956.

The evaluation commission will analyse candidature files and carry out on-site inspections before issuing a report in June 2007.

The decision on which city will host the 2014 Games will be made a month later.

The 2010 Winter Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada.

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