SPAIN: OLYMPICS - Madrid still hoping for 2016 Olympics after IOC evaluation report

Record ID: 329635

  • Title: SPAIN: OLYMPICS - Madrid still hoping for 2016 Olympics after IOC evaluation report
  • Date: 3rd September 2009
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 2, 2009) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) MADRID MAYOR ALBERTO RUIZ GALLARDON ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM JOURNALISTS AT CONFERENCE GALLARDON AND 2016 OLYMPICS BID TEAM VARIOUS OF GALLARDON PHOTOGRAPHER GALLARDON AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MADRID MAYOR ALBERTO RUIZ GALLARDON SAYING: "I want to congratulate the other candidate cities and of course affirm and reaffirm that Madrid will fight until the end, until October 2nd, with all our strength, with all our qualities, all its extraordinarily positive elements. So that on October 2nd we will persuade the International Olympic Committee to choose Madrid as the place to organise the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2016" PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MADRID MAYOR ALBERTO RUIZ GALLARDON SAYING: "We haven't received any kind of suggestion that is not likely to be corrected before October 2nd and we understand that it is one of the big advantages that Madrid's candidature has" JOURNALISTS AT CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPAIN'S SPORTS SECRETARY OF STATE, JAIME LISSAVETZKY, SAYING: "There is a guarantee, which is (number) 215, which literally says that in case there is any difference between the legislation or anti-doping rules we would apply those of the International Olympic Committee or the World Anti-Doping Agency's because these norms change very rapidly with time" NEWS CONFERENCE ASSISTANT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MADRID MAYOR ALBERTO RUIZ GALLARDON SAYING: "I assume all responsibility. Without a doubt. There is a phrase attributed to Napoleon when he said that defeat is strength and victory has 100 fathers. I did it in 2012 and I will do it in 2016. No doubt about it. When things work out it will be a collective merit and that's how we will proclaim it. We are not even going to contemplate the other way. There is no need to say 'if things don't work out'; I don't have any doubt, the responsibility will be mine" GALLARDON AND HIS TEAM/ PHOTOGRAPHERS GALLARDON POSING FOR CAMERAS GALLARDON GREETING MADRID COUNCILLOR FOR SOCIAL AFFAIRS, ANA BOTELLA VARIOUS OF GALLARDON GREETING OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF GALLARDON USING MOBILE
  • Embargoed: 18th September 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA662M3HIU4CUO3QRITMXCVOYKI
  • Story Text: Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon said on Wednesday (September 2) that the Spanish city would continue with its campaign to win the 2016 Olympic games.
    At a news conference held hours after the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) evaluation report was released, Gallardon said his team wAS committed to fighting until the end.
    "I want to congratulate the other candidate cities and of course affirm and reaffirm that Madrid will fight until the end, until October 2nd, with all out strength, with all our qualities, all its extraordinarily positive elements. So that on October 2nd we will persuade the International Olympic Committee to choose Madrid as the place to organise the Olympic and Paraolympic games in 2016," said the Madrid Mayor.
    Madrid, which also bid for the 2012 Games won by London, enjoys the highest support among all bid cities, with 84.9 percent of the capital's residents backing the bid, according to the IOC's own poll. Some 85.8 nationwide are in favour of the candidacy.
    It also already has 23 of 33 venues needed, but the IOC expressed concern over a lack of "clear delineation" regarding the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders and their financial support.
    Gallardon was upbeat about the report and said deficiencies highlighted on Wednesday were purely a formality.
    "We haven't received any kind of suggestion that is not likely to be corrected before October 2nd and we understand that it is one of the big advantages that Madrid's candidature has," Gallardon added.
    The four bid cities competing to host the 2016 summer Olympics are locked in a tight race with no clear frontrunner emerging from the International Olympic Committee's evaluation report released on Wednesday.
    Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Madrid are bidding to win the 2016 Games. The IOC will announce the winner on October 2 at their session in Copenhagen.
    The IOC's 13-member evaluation commission conducted on-site inspections in April and May and its report is the final document regarding the bids before the IOC session elects the winner.
    However, the IOC also highlighted that at the time of the visit to the potential host city, it was not clear if the Spanish anti-doping legislation adhered to the World Anti-Doping Agency code and said it was important for that to be resolved.
    Sports Secretary of State Jaime Lissavetzky said Spain would adhere to IOC or World Anti-Doping Agency legislation.
    "There is a guarantee, which is 215, which literally says that in case there is any difference between the legislation or anti-doping rules we would apply those of the International Olympic Committee or the World Anti-Doping Agency's because these norms change very rapidly with time,." said Lissavetzky.
    Overall, the IOC also said in its 98-page report that all four cities had put in bids of high quality.
    Chicago, aiming to be the first U.S. city to host the Games since Atlanta in 1996, scored points with its compact plan, with most venues within eight kilometres (five miles) from the city centre, which will require "minimum travel times for athletes and other client groups", according to the report. Its centrally-located lakefront Olympic village was also a winner.
    Transport however, especially the need to double peak commuter traffic for the rail system during Games time, was seen as a challenge, as was failure to "provide a full guarantee covering a potential shortfall of the organising committee, as requested by the IOC."
    The IOC said Chicago's Games budget was "ambitious but achievable" and would require an "extensive sponsorship programme" to generate more than $1.8 billion towards the "significant expenditure budget".
    Rio's bid to become the first South American city to host the Olympics scored well with its wider regeneration plan supporting the Games preparation Its shortage of necessary hotel rooms and the use of cruise ships was a challenge as was security, the IOC said, adding that hosting the 2014 soccer World Cup would accelerate infrastructure delivery but could also challenge marketing strategies ahead of 2016.
    Tokyo, which hosted the Games in 1964, won praise for the fund it has already set up and its compact Games plan backed by an efficient public transport system.
    The Japanese capital's "relatively low" public support for the 2016 Games was a concern. Some 55.5 percent of Tokyo residents backed the bid in the poll conducted by the IOC in February.
    The need to construct some venues that were initially listed as existing was another point of concern for the IOC.
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