Hoping to avoid a repeat of the narrow list of candidates for the 2022 Olympics, the IOC's top management has met with seven international winter sports federations to discuss the bidding process for the 2026 Games, AP reported. Beijing was selected as host of the 2022 Games in July, narrowly defeating Almaty, Kazakhstan, the only other candidate after the withdrawal of four European cities, including Oslo and Stockholm, for political or economic reasons. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach says "it is of utmost importance that (the winter federations) contribute with their knowledge and expertise of the organization and delivery of Olympic Winter Games".
