Philippe Baudillon says that the five cities bidding for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games are very solid. “The people who say Paris is in the lead are not the ones who decide. In the days and weeks ahead we need to prove how consistent we are”.
He said, “we’re taking advantage now of a 20-year commitment to the Olympics. It’s an in-depth task. Our desire for the Games is deeply rooted, we want the Games badly”.
He added there was a genuine will from all involved, from the political institutions to business and fans, to win the battle. He said the fact that “60 per cent of the venues” are already in place is another plus for the Parisian bid.
Eighteen of the proposed 30 sites are within a 10-minute drive from the planned Olympic Village to be constructed on a disused railcard in Batignolles. It will be midway between the two “clusters” of venues at the edge of the city.
Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said that 40,000 jobs would be created – 20,000 in sport and 20,000 in tourism. And 35 billion euros will be injected into the French economy between 2005 and 2012.
The 13-member International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission arrives in Paris Tuesday night and begins its tour Wednesday.
On Wednesday there will be a presentation of the Paris 2012 bid and a visit to Croix Catelan, site of the 1900 Paris Olympics. Thursday the group will tour the proposed Olympic and Paralympic venues, Friday there’s a visit to the Eiffel Tower and a presentation on non-cluster venues and Saturday, the last day of the inspection, the group will visit non-cluster venues including Bercy Palais Omnisport.
