The French city of Annecy has received a major boost in its bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Annecy receives candidate status
The bid team have vowed to prove the sceptics wrong by bringing the Games to France after advancing to the status of 'candidate city'.

Annecy will join the South Korean city of Pyeongchang and Munich in the final vote, which will be held in an IOC session in Durban nexrt year.

However, following advice from IOC director Gilbert Felli requesting technical changes in the campaign, the bid is currently thought to be a rank outsider.

Commenting on the candidate cities, Felli revealed:

"We decided that the cities of Munich and Pyeongchang should be retained without reservation.

"For Annecy, it will be retained but we are asking that the concept of its sports sites be reviewed."

However, Annecy representatives still retain plenty of confidence about the bid following the bonus of receiving official candidate status.

Bid team reaction
Bid leader Edgar Grospiron revealed:

"We have one year to convince.

"We are more determined than ever to do everything possible to offer exceptional Games, in the heart of the mountains, serving the Olympic ideal.

He continued: "Therefore, we are working on readjusting our project, as suggested by the IOC. Thanks to the great potential of our region, first winter sports destination in the world, we have the possibility to rapidly offer a solution which will come closer to the IOC's desires.

"We thank the IOC for studying our applicant file and are conscious of the high level of their expectations."

[source: uk.eurosport.com ]