LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Three cities — two from Europe and one from Asia — made the cut today as the IOC trimmed the field for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Salzburg, Austria; Pyeongchang, South Korea; and Sochi, Russia; were selected as finalists by the International Olympic Committee's executive board.

Eliminated from the race were Almaty, Kazakhstan; Borjomi, Georgia; Jaca, Spain; and Sofia, Bulgaria.

While Thursday's cut was made by the Olympics' 15-member ruling body, the full 100-plus IOC assembly will select the host city at its session in Guatemala City on July 4, 2007.

The main question had been whether the IOC would go for three or four finalists. Almaty had been considered the likely choice as a fourth bidder.

"It was not a question of quantity, it was a question of quality," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

IOC executive board member Gerhard Heiberg said there were "lengthy discussions" about whether to include a fourth finalist.

"It was a very good debate, but in the end we decided to go for three," he said.

This race pales in the glamour stakes from last year's vote for the 2012 Summer Olympics, in which London defeated Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow. By comparison, many people might find it hard to locate the 2014 bid cities on a world map.

The campaign began last July when the seven cities made their initial applications to the IOC. Since then, they submitted detailed replies to an IOC questionnaire, outlining plans for venues, financing, transportation, security and other key issues.

A panel of IOC experts analyzed the replies and compiled a report for the board, whose decision was announced by Rogge at a news conference.

The cities making the cut will have to pay a $500,000 fee to cover the bidding process, and will be required to submit their formal bid books by January 2007.

Two of the candidates had a head start: Salzburg and Pyeongchang were finalists in the vote for the 2010 Olympics, which were awarded to Vancouver, British Columbia. The little-known Korean bid finished a surprising second, and the Austrian city third.

Salzburg, which represents the traditional European Alpine winter setting, has come forward with a leaner, more compact bid. It announced this week that it completed its venue lineup, with the choice of a 12,000-seat ice hockey arena in Puch-Urstein.

Pyeongchang is hoping to build on its momentum from the first bid to establish itself as an Asian winter sports capital.

Sochi is trying to bring the Winter Games to Russia for the first time.