(ATR) The chancellor of Austria and other leaders of the national government get their turn Friday to press the case for the Salzburg 2014 Olympic bid to an IOC panel that’s midway through a four-day review of the city. On the scene coverage from Salzburg, inside...

Chancellor Albert Gusenbauer and finance minister Wilhelm Molterer following their visit with the IOC Evaluation Commission. (ATR)

(ATR) The chancellor of Austria and other leaders of the national government get their turn Friday to press the case for the Salzburg 2014 Olympic bid to an IOC panel that’s midway through a four-day review of the city.

Chancellor Albert Gusenbauer met with the 12-member commission Friday morning to deliver assurances of the government’s support for the Olympic project. Appearing with Gusenbauer was vice chancellor and finance minister Wilhelm Molterer. Tonight, Austrian president Heinz Fischer arrives to host the IOC at dinner being held at the new wing of the Salzburg Festival.

In response to a question from Around the Rings following the IOC briefing, Gusenbauer said Austria was not intimidated by the larger budgets and staff available to the other two cities in the 2014 race, PyeongChang and Sochi.

According to early bid documents, Salzburg planned to spend about $5 million during this phase of its candidacy, a fraction of what its rivals are forecast to spend.

“We will do everything that is necessary in order to present our candidature,” said the chancellor.

“But we will not enter a competition of capital, of money, to put that quite clearly. We are offering things that money can not buy.

“Here you find people, here you find the landscape, here you find sites that offer an atmosphere. We do not have to artificially build something new that most probably will not fit into the landscape,” says Gusenbauer.

The chancellor says he is putting promotion of the Olympic bid on the “to do” list of all government ministers and diplomats through the next four months leading up to the IOC vote in July. He tells Around the Rings that he likely will be going to Guatemala City for the vote.

Gusenbauer insists public support is behind the Olympic Games, “a very broad majority” he descr

The IOC Evaluation Commission will end its trip to Salzburg on Saturday. (ATR)

ibes it.

“We are a democracy. There will never be 100 percent consensus on everything. People have the right to disagree and make up their minds,” he says about public opinion.

In the government, he notes that the Olympic legislation recently passed in the Parliament guaranteeing the financing for the Games passed by a four-fifths majority.

“And even those that are critical like the Greens for instance, they are not against the Olympic Games. They’re in favor of different expense priorities,” says Gusenbauer.

He says that he expects people who today are opponents of the Olympic Games i

Governor Gabi Burgstaller, with the Austrian chancellor, serves the wurst at a lunch for journalists Friday in Salzburg.

n Salzburg, “they will be among those that are attending the Olympic Games.”

Gabi Burstaller Hosts Wurst-Fest for Journos

As part of the charm offensive of the Salzburg bid, Governor Gabi Burgstaller, accompanied by Gusenbauer, led a throng of journalists on a sunny stroll through the old city for al fresco wurst at a popular stand in the green market.

Burgstaller leads the Salzburg region, which includes the city and all of the towns outside the city with Olympic venues.

Burgstaller and Gusenbauer easily mingled, stopping along the way to chat with acquaintances, security at a discrete level.

At a news conference following the informal lunch, Burgstaller said Olympic Games in Salzburg will help inspire a new generation of sports fans and participants among Austrian youth.

“Not everybody can be as strong as Franz Klammer, at least it is good to see how successful other people are”.

Burgstaller says she will be traveling for the bid to Lausanne in the coming weeks and at the SportAccord convention in Beijing next month.

Your best source of news about the race for the 2014 Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.