SPAIN: OLYMPICS: IOC Evaluation Commission says Madrid's new Olympics bid -- for 2020 -- is better than the city's previous two efforts and could be lucky.

Record ID: 837589

  • Title: SPAIN: OLYMPICS: IOC Evaluation Commission says Madrid's new Olympics bid -- for 2020 -- is better than the city's previous two efforts and could be lucky.
  • Date: 21st March 2013
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 21, 2013) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE'S (IOC) EVALUATION COMMISSION CRAIG REEDIE AND IOC OLYMPIC GAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GILBERT FELLI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE REEDIE AND FELLI SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE REEDIE/ NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM PHOTOGRAPHER/ REEDIE AND FELLI AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE'S (IOC) EVALUATION COMMISSION CRAIG REEDIE SAYING: "Perhaps -- and as we've said -- we believe that the third bid is better than the second bid, is better than the first bid. If it any helps you to answer the question, I lost twice before I won. So who knows, maybe third time is lucky. As far as public support is concerned, I think the bid committee were happy to know that the figures produced by the IOC in terms of popular support agreed very much with the polls that had been taken, been taken here in Madrid" VARIOUS OF SCREENS SHOWING NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE EVALUATION COMMISSION CRAIG REEDIE SAYING: "'Hugely' is a word that I like quite a lot. (LAUGHTER) We were greatly impressed by what we have seen here in terms of presentations, the quality of presentations. Weve been greatly impressed by looking at the quality of the explanations we were given in the venues when we visited them. So if you want to translate 'hugely' into 'greatly' or other way around, then Im quite relaxed about it" VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IOC OLYMPIC GAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GILBERT FELLI SAYING: "We are already reading, saying that 'ah yes but after the citizen will have to pay for so many years if they build something for the game'. Now the citizens have already paid for big part of it. So then it is really a true investment for the future, its there. So that is why he believes that the crisis now will not affect too much the Madrid bid because the investment to be made by the different authorities, it will not be as huge as if we you had to start from scratch and nothing to lose" NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE EVALUATION COMMISSION CRAIG REEDIE SAYING: "We have heard a very clear statement from the bid committee. They believe that the Spanish economy has suffered a difficult time, but that it has stabilised and it will improve. We note that and we will note it for our report" VARIOUS OF REEDIE AND FELLI LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • City:
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB74P1DOLGFTX4WKY6PNL2AJYA
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Madrid's bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games is an improvement on its failed efforts to secure the 2012 and 2016 events, so this could be third time lucky for the Spanish capital, the head of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) evaluation commission said in the city on Thursday (March 21).
    Sir Craig Reedie, a former British Olympic Association chairman, told a news conference: "Perhaps -- and as we've said -- we believe that the third bid is better than the second bid, is better than the first bid. If it any helps you to answer the question, I lost twice before I won. So who knows, maybe third time is lucky. As far as public support is concerned, I think the bid committee were happy to know that the figures produced by the IOC in terms of popular support agreed very much with the polls that had been taken, been taken here in Madrid."
    Madrid, which is competing with Istanbul and Tokyo for the 2020 Games, has been presenting its candidacy to the IOC commission this week.
    Asked if he was "hugely" impressed with the bid, Reedie said to laughter: "'Hugely' is a word that I like quite a lot. We were greatly impressed by what we have seen here in terms of presentations, the quality of presentations. Weve been greatly impressed by looking at the quality of the explanations we were given in the venues when we visited them. So if you want to translate 'hugely' into 'greatly' or other way around, then Im quite relaxed about it" -- prompting more laughter.
    Each city delivered its candidature files to the IOC in January and on-site inspections by the evaluation commission began in Tokyo.
    Madrids dossier says 28 of the 35 planned venues are already built, while around 40 percent of tickets will cost less than 40 euros.
    The IOC Olympic Games executive director, Gilbert Felli, said Madrid had already made important investments which would save money.
    "We are already reading, saying that 'ah yes but after the citizen will have to pay for so many years if they build something for the game'. Now the citizens have already paid for big part of it. So then it is really a true investment for the future, its there. So that is why he believes that the crisis now will not affect too much the Madrid bid because the investment to be made by the different authorities, it will not be as huge as if we you had to start from scratch and nothing to lose," the Swiss said.
    Madrid's initial estimate suggests Olympics there would cost 1.52 billion euros, plus another 150 million for services such as health and security, the bid team said.
    That compares with the estimated 10 billion euros (9.0 billion pounds) spent on the London Games, which was far above early projections.
    With the Spanish economy struggling and unemployment at record levels, many Spaniards are worried about the cost of hosting the Olympics and the issue dominated questions at the news conference.
    Reedie said: "We have heard a very clear statement from the bid committee. They believe that the Spanish economy has suffered a difficult time, but that it has stabilised and it will improve. We note that and we will note it for our report."
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