In the eleventh hour, IOC member Charmaine Crooks of Canada has been barred from participating in a presentation for Toronto’s bid Friday.
The Olympic runner and a Japanese IOC member were told they cannot participate in their city’s bid presentations.
IOC members whose countries have a candidate in the 2008 Games have traditionally not been able to vote, but have been permitted to take part in presentations. Crooks was scheduled to make a two-minute speech in Toronto’s 45-minute presentation Friday.
Toronto bid officials were surprised by the move. TO-Bid president John Bitove told the Toronto Star, “they had to make a new rule, they’re panicking”.
Samaranch has been quite open in his support for Beijing’s bid.
Mark Lowry, the Canadian Olympic Association’s executive director of sport and programs, was also surprised by the decision. “We’re dealing with a new set of guidelines. In some cases we don’t have any precedents to go by”.
When asked whether he thought the move would hurt Toronto’s bid, Lowry said, “I’m sure it was unexpected to be told at the last minute. I don’t think it will hurt them”.
Meanwhile a CNN poll which asked “Should human rights concerns prevent Beijing from host the Olympics” showed that of 75,686 people voting, 84 per cent said “yes” and 16 per cent said “no”.
And reports say that China’s Prime Minister has changed his plans and will be arriving in Moscow Saturday, a day after the vote; perhaps a sign of his confidence that Beijing will win the bid.
