LONDON (AP) — Six cities from Europe, Asia and the Middle East are competing to host the 2020 Olympics.

Submitting bids to the International Olympic Committee by Friday’s deadline were Rome; Madrid; Tokyo; Istanbul; Doha,
Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan. There were no surprises, as all six cities had previously announced their candidacies. All six contenders have made previous bids, and two — Rome and Tokyo— have hosted the Olympics before.

Madrid is bidding for a third consecutive time, while Tokyo, Doha and Baku are making their second successive attempts. It is
Istanbul’s fifth overall bid. Doha is proposing to hold the games in September and October, outside the traditional July-August dates, to avoid the blistering summer temperatures in the Gulf country.

National Olympic committees had until Friday to notify the IOC of the names of any applicant cities.

The IOC will select the host city by secret ballot on Sept. 7, 2013, in Buenos Aires.

The six candidates must first submit detailed application files and letters of guarantee to the IOC by Feb. 15. The IOC executive board will meet in May to decide whether to cut any of the cities and approve a list of finalists.

Final bid dossiers will be submitted in January 2013, followed by visits to the cities by an IOC evaluation commission from February to April.