The nine cities hoping to stage the 2012 Olympic Games face a cull this week as Olympic chiefs meet to draw up a shortlist of candidates.
The nine applicants - Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro - will learn their fate tomorrow.
Sources close to the International Olympic Committee believe the field is likely to be cut to as few as five but the quality of the bids could see as many as seven cities go through to the next stage.
The IOC will select the winning city in July next year.