Salzburg, Pyeongchang edge ahead in 2014 Games race

ATHENS, June 4 (Reuters) The Austrian city of Salzburg and South Korea's Pyeongchang look to be frontrunners in the race for the 2014 Winter Games after the International Olympic Committee described their concepts as ''excellent''.

The other bidder, Russia's Sochi, received a ''very good'' rating for its plan today.

In an Evaluation Commission report realeased today, one month before the IOC decides on the city, Salzburg won votes for the large number of existing venues, while Sochi will essentially have to build all 11 competition venues from scratch.

Pyeongchang, which along with Sochi has provided high-quality financial guarrantees according to the commission, will have to build seven of 11 venues and reconstruct one.

REUTERS TB VC1428