Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, is considering a bid for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, despite failing to make the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) shortlist for 2014.
The Associated Press reports that the deputy head of the national ski federation, Vladimir Smirnov, said an official bid from Almaty will go ahead if the government lends its support.
Almaty, which is jointly hosting the 2011 Asian Winter Games with Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana, is now rebuilding its Medeu ice-skating rink and the Shymbulak ski resort in preparation. Smirnov said the Shymbulak complex will play a key role in any prospective Olympic bid. He said, "by 2015 Shymbulak should become one of the world's ten largest ski resorts".
The IOC will select the 2018 host city in 2011.
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