In exactly six months the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select its host city for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Will it be New York, London, Paris, Madrid or Moscow?
To mark the date some of the 2012 bid cities have promoted their bids by issuing statements extolling the virtues of their bids.
New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York 2012 bid committee said that with six months to go New York’s Olympic bid is in a strong position to be awarded the Games. The Mayor said New York’s bid is stronger than ever after taking a number of significant actions and achieving a number of significant accomplishments in the last year.
New York Deputy Mayor and NYC2012 founder Dan Doctoroff said, “we have all the necessary guarantees and agreements in place including the Multiparty Agreement the City Services Agreement and the signage agreement. We have a smooth transition plan in place that provides for continuity of leadership should we be named the host city”.
London 2012 head Sebastian Coe called the 2012 Games “the greatest prize in sport”. He said, “I believe we have an excellent chance. Our mix of historic and modern venues will be of enormous appeal. An Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London would offer eye-catching vistas such as Wimbledon, the new Wembley and Lord’s Cricket Ground, along with state-of-the-art venues in the new east London Olympic Park.
Spectators will be transported from central London to the Olympic Park in just seven minutes via the Olympic Javelin high-speed rail shuttle. A total of 10 rail and tube lines serve the park. No host city has ever had such an extensive transport infrastructure”, said Coe.
French President Jacques Chirac affirmed the “full support” of the French government for Paris’ 2012 bid. He said, “more than a century after its resurrection by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, France is ready to become once again the country of the Olympics. France is ready for this magical festival where all the nations in the world come together to take each other on and to beat each other but not in an aggressive sense”.
He added, “we have another six months to win the debate and I am hoping ardently that we win. We have all the qualities to do so”.
Several Parisian buildings and bridges will be adorned with the green, yellow, red and blue colours of the Paris bid. The French Assembly, the City Hall and four bridges on the Seine will wear the Paris 2012 logo until the host city is selected on July 6.
During the next six months the logos will be illuminated every evening from 5:30 p.m. at the French Assembly and 6 p.m. at the City Hall.
Madrid promoted its 2012 bid on a float during the Three Kings Procession held Wednesday in Madrid’s city centre. The Olympic float represented an athletics track, which had the Olympic flame, Madrid’s 12012 motto, the Olympic rings and eight plasma screens, which showed promotional videos of the bid.
Madrid 2012 will unveil its promotional campaign January 10.
