Almaty Bid for 2018 Olympic Winter Games Likely

    A source close to the International Olympic Committee has indicated that Almaty Kazakhstan has submitted a bid to host the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
    But an IOC spokesperson declined to comment on the possible application and the Kazakhstan National Olympic Committee couldn't be reached for confirmation.
    Almaty last bid for the 2014 Games, but was not included on the shortlist even though the city "straddled the benchmark," indicating it had met the minimum technical requirements for a bid.
    Almaty was the capital city of Kazakhstan until 1998, and has a population of more than 1.3 million.
    The city is preparing to host the 2011 Winter Asian Games.
    The IOC will announce the official list of 2018 Games applicants Thursday morning in Lausanne, according to GamesBids.com.