As expected, there are nine applicants to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released their list of cities that submitted letters by yesterday’s deadline.
The cities are Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro.
“We are delighted to announce such a long list of prestigious cities,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said in a statement.
“I believe this reflects the strong image of the Olympic Games, the IOC’s policy of reinvesting revenues in the staging of the Games, and the care for a strong urban legacy. We look forward to an exciting competition.”
The nine applicants will begin work on the mini bid-book, a questionnaire due to the IOC by January 2004. Bids that submit questionnaires that meet minimum IOC requirements will be selected as candidate cities by next May.
Each bid is required to pay a US$150,000 fee by the end of August.
Election of the 2012 host city will take place on July 6, 2005, during the 117th IOC session in Singapore.
