Hein Verbruggen, head of the International Olympic Committee’s evaluation commission, said on the final day of a technical tour of Paris, that the evaluators were impressed by Paris’ candidacy.
Verbruggen cited athletes’ involvement, the prominence of Paralympic events, and urban renewal proposals for an industrial site north of the city, as bid strengths.
Verbruggen said that French President Jacques Chirac had been “very convincing” in pledging the support of the French State for the Games.
He told journalists that he didn’t think Paris had less chance of hosting the Games because it was in Europe. The 2004 Summer Games are being held in Athens, Greece and the 2006 Winter Games are in Turin, Italy. He said, “I think IOC members will make a decision based on the quality of each candidacy”.
During the technical tour, the possibility of labor strikes was raised. Verbruggen said he had received explanations from bid organizers about why such actions would not disrupt the event. “A project like the Olympic Games has so much good will that the unions would respect that”, he said.
Verbruggen said that human rights are not an issue in the assessment of cities bidding to stage the 2008 Olympics – and that’s how it should stay. “We should not bring political factors into our evaluation”. But, he said, “if IOC members want to take political elements into account, that’s an individual matter.”.
