The city of Pyeongchang in Gangwon Province has topped an online bidding index for the first time, besting Russia's Sochi and Austria's Salzburg in the oddsmakers' take on whether it will be named host of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Gamebids.com, an Internet site that estimates the odds on international sporting events, said Wednesday that Pyeongchang won 64-point-nine points in the index for winning the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was trailed by Salzburg with 63-point-93 and Sochi with 60-point-95.

The Korean entry had remained third since February 2006, when the index was first announced. However, its score jumped two-point-89 points, boosted by a strong showing during last month's on-site inspection by the International Olympic Committee.

In contrast, early favorite Salzburg lost one-point-42 points due to a scandal over its bid committee chair’s sudden resignation and the relative indifference of local residents to the bid.

Sochi also saw its index score fall two-point-zero-three points due to recent fatal accidents at one of its ski resorts and environmental concerns.