Bokel, who in July was named as chair of the IOC athletes’ commission, will lead a nine-strong group that will ascertain the credentials of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Medellin (Colombia), Guadalajara (Mexico), Glasgow (Scotland) and Poznan (Poland).

Alongside Bokel are: Guido de Bondt, secretary general of the Belgian National Olympic Committee; Andrew Ryan, director of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations; volleyball player Yumilka Ruiz Luaces, an IOC athletes' commission member; Gilbert Felli, the Olympic Games executive director; and Christophe Dubi, the IOC's sports director.

Antoine Goetschy, head of the Youth Olympic Games Coordination, Patrick Stalder, head of creative services, and Toshio Tsurunaga, NOC relations programme manager, complete the working group line-up.

The group will analyse each city’s candidature file, which must be received by the IOC by October 15, and submit a report to the IOC executive board.

The board will announce a shortlist at a meeting on February 12 and 13, 2013.

Following further assessment and video conferences with each shortlisted candidate city, a report will be submitted to the IOC members, who will select the host city at their meeting in Lausanne on July 4.

Earlier this month, Bokel, who won a silver medal in fencing at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, was named on the evaluation commission for the 2020 Olympic Games, a race being contested by Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul.

Sportcal