A Canadian Press (CP) report says that for a number of reasons New York may be a long shot in a race that will culminate with a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2005.
IOC member Dick Pound said San Francisco would have been a better choice. “I personally have never thought New York would be a suitable city for the Games, before or after 9-11. It’s too big, the infrastructure too unwieldy. The Games in New York would disappear without a trace.
“I don’t think with something as important as the Olympic Games to the IOC that the members are going to vote out of some misguided sympathy or solidarity for New York which is as far as I can see the only card they have to play”.
According to CP, Italian IOC member Mario Pescante said European members would have preferred San Francisco because they consider it “the most European city in the United States”.
And Dieter Landsberg-Velen, a vice-president of Germany’s national Olympic committee and head of its evaluation committee said “from my point of view, this is a favourable decision for the German candidate. I don’t think that New York is such an attractive rival as San Francisco”.
Pound said, “there’s a lot of interest in Europe for 2012, and a preponderance of the votes are in Europe or tied to Europe. The way you try to increase the chances for Europe in 2012 is to give the 2010 Games to North America.”
Vancouver, Salzburg and Pyeongchang are in the race for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Pound said if Salzburg wins the 2010 Games, North America would be the favourite for 2012 – but not New York. He said Toronto, which lost bids for the 1996 and 2008 Games, will almost certainly enter the race if Vancouver loses.
Pescante said a candidate from the Americas would have a great chance in 2012 following summer Games in Australia, Europe and Asia.
Israeli IOC member Alex Gilady said the possible U.S. war against Iraq could impact on the New York bid.
But Jim Easton, one of three IOC members from the United States, said some USOC members felt “New York has a better chance to win internationally. New York can generate media. All the stations are there and have a direct feed to the world”.
Jim McCarthy, president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, thinks New York’s proximity to Europe would lead to great television ratings. And a successful broadcast means more sponsorship dollars.
He also thought New York was a little more prepared than San Francisco to sustain a bid should the campaign extend to 2016. New York will be the United States’ candidate through 2016.
Meanwhile, Jack Kelly of the U.S. baseball federation, a consultant who organized two Olympic-style Goodwill Games, and a consultant with Houston’s failed 2012 bid, sums it up when he says it should never be forgotten that eight of the 11 corporations participating in TOP (The Olympic Program) crucial to IOC funding, are based in the United States.
“This (New York) bid is a great bid. London, Paris, Rome; great cities, but you’re not going to get a great bid from those cities. And Germany? Look who they’re talking about? Leipzig, Hamburg, Frankfurt. Not Berlin. And, come on – this is New York City”.
