OTTAWA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Madrid, Tokyo and Istanbul became the finalists in the race for the 2020 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided on Wednesday.

Doha of Quatar and Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, were eliminated from the list. Both cities also failed to make the cut for the 2016 Games.

The IOC will vote for the final winner on September 7 next year in Buenos Aires.

The executive board, chaired by IOC President Jacques Rogge, chose the finalists after examining a technical evaluation report compiled by a panel of Olympic experts. The board then voted on each candidate.

Madrid is bidding for a third consecutive time, Tokyo a second time in a row and Istanbul a fifth time overall.