Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said Monday during a conference call with North American reporters that Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games will be damaged if residents don’t vote solidly in favour of Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
The city is holding a plebiscite on the Games Saturday.
Rogge said that IOC members “would expect strong support” from city voters. “It wouldn’t have to be unanimous of course. But to have 50 percent definitely would not be enough”.
Rogge said he thought “three or four out of five in favour is a good basis to start with”.
Following Pyeongchang’s inspection by an IOC evaluation commission of its 2010 bid, Gerhard Heiberg, head of the evaluation team was asked, “if, for example, more than 50 per cent said no, how could the IOC award it to that city”. He answered, “we give a lot of weight to the support we find, not only locally in the city, but in the country””
According to a recent Gallup poll South Korea has 97.2 per cent public support for its bid.
Heiberg said, “we are used to having 60 per cent for, 40 against. We had that at Lillehammer”.
Heiberg said his committee wil take its own steps to sound public mood in the three competing bids, Pyeongchang, Salzburg and Vancouver.
Meanwhile, Vancouver 2010 is getting unexpected support. Washington State’s House of Representatives passed a bill in its House of Representatives last week supporting Vancouver’s bid. If the bill passes the Senate, lawmakers will send an official letter of support for the bid to the IOC.
Also, Vancouver City Councillor David Cadman is the seventh member of city council to say Yes to the 2010 Olympic bid, arguing the city cannot afford to pass up the financial incentives the Games will bring.
Cadman joins Mayor Larry Campbell and five other councillors on the Yes side. Three councillors are opposed to the bid.
