Officials from South Korea and two European rivals are making their final presentations to the International Olympic Committee in a fierce contest to see who will host the 2018 Winter Games.

The South Korean city of Pyeonchang was seen as the favorite ahead of the committee's announcement in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday afternoon . Analysts said the bid from Munich, Germany, was also strong, while Annecy, France, faced longer odds.

All three countries have leading political and sports personalities in Durban for their last-minute pitches, with South Korea represented by President Lee Myung-bak and figure skating champion Kim Yu-na. German President Christian Wulff is heading the Munich team while French Prime Minister Francois Fillon is in Durban for Annecy.

South Korea in particular has staked its prestige on a successful bid, having narrowly lost out to Vancouver, Canada, and Sochi, Russia, in its last two bids. Mr. Lee urged his delegation late Tuesday to “put all our souls and might” into the effort.

If the Pyeonchang bid is successful, it would become only the third Asian city to host the Winter Olympics. The two previous Olympiads were both hosted by Japan, most recently at Nagano in 1998.

South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics in Seoul in 1988.