The race was close as it took three rounds of voting; in the end Planica got 3 votes and Lahti 12.

Oberstdorf (Germany) and Zakopane (Poland) were the other two candidates.

The Slovenian organisers were nevertheless satisfied and suggested Planica would vie for the 2019 event.

"This is just sport and athletes are used to coping with defeat," said retired cross-country runner Petra Majdič, the face of the campaign.

Janez Bukovnik, the head of the organising committee, said a decision on a renewed bid for 2019 had not been taken yet. "But the result shows that we're on the right track."