The "Olympic capital", home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and 60 international sport federations, and its surrounding region of the State of Vaud were today chosen by the National Olympic Committee's Executive Board ahead of Lucerne to bid to host the Games.

The final vote - eight in favour of Lausanne, four for Lucerne and one abstention – marked the conclusion of a five-month internal selection process.

"It is a great day for Lausanne, and for the State of Vaud," said Lausanne Mayor Daniel Brélaz.

"Our city has invested a lot of resources over the last decades into nurturing the world of international sport which is based here.

"We hope that this platform will be one of the strengths of our international bid, and we look forward to collaborating with Swiss Olympic in the development of a very strong proposal to the IOC to hopefully win in 2015."

The decision now awaits formal ratification by the Swiss Olympic Committee Congress on September 19.

Bids for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics are due by November 28 this year and Lausanne could see itself up against the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and Lake Placid in the United States.

The host city for the event will be elected in May or June 2015.

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