Nine bids for 2012 Olympics

[Donny]

Nine bids for 2012 Olympics

From correspondents in Paris - Fox


OLYMPIC front-runners Paris launched their bid for the 2012 Summer Games with a glitzy ceremony at the Eiffel Tower today.

Second favourites London got their campaign off at Covent Garden after the nine cities vying for the right to host the 2012 Olympics met Thursday's midnight deadline.

Paris, London, New York, Moscow, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Leipzig, Havana and Istanbul submitted their 65-page International Olympic Committee questionnaire and handed over a $US150,000 ($195,185) non-returnable entry fee.

"We're delighted by this show of interest," said IOC president Jacques Rogges.

The IOC's executive board could draw up a short list at its May 18 meeting in Lausanne.

However Rogge has several times insisted the nine are so strong that all of them could be in the final list of candidates.

The final vote by the 125 IOC members is taken at Singapore on July 6 2005.

Paris, which successfully staged the 1998 World Cup soccer tournament, will centre its bid around the 80,000 capacity Stade de France.

Sixteen of the 32 stadiums needed for the Games are already built and bid committee director Essar Gabriel has promised there will be no white elephants which will be left to rust once the Games are over.

London's plans are centred on a regeneration scheme for a rundown area in east London but its bid is seen as being hampered by the relatively poor state of the city's transport infrastructure.

New York is also planning to build its Olympic stadium as part of a major transformation of what is a rundown area in the Far West Side.

Paris (1900, 1924), London (1908, 1948) and Moscow (1980) have already organised the Games.

[commonwombat]

OK let's get realistic.

We can basically eliminate Istanbul, Havana, Leipzig, Rio and probably Moscow from serious consideration.

Why?? Considerations like public infrastructure (mass transport, airports); accomodation; communications and in some cases political and local social problems ie crime mitigate against these candidates.

The remaining:

London: is not using Wembley as a main stadium rather is looking to start from scratch by redeveloping the site of a disueds dog track. Most other majot facilities ie aquatic, cycling etc will probably have to be built as most of Britain's existing facilities are situated well out of London. Infrastructure like airports and media communication is fine. The underground, as mentioned in article.

Madrid: May be trying to ride on memories of Barcelona's successful 1992 effort. Has many good existing major facilities in place and media communications are no problem. Madrid is a however a far more "up itself" compared to the laid back Barcelona.

Paris: Has many advantages vis facilities, communications. Transport ??? Possibly a front runner but French diplomacy (or lack thereof) is always an imponderable.

New York: Hhmmm. The Americans will try and milk world sympathy for all it's worth, you know "don't forget 9/11" . Fellas!!! Major corporate interests and media will push big time. Wjat must not be forgot that they will really have to start from scratch with many facilities and they will be spread all over the place. As with the French, US diplomacy may play a positive or negative part. Bad memories of Atlanta 96 and Salt Lake City 2002 will still be in the minds of many.