The new compact Olympic bid plan announced by Leipzig’s Mayor this week has caused some anger in the neighboring city of Riesa according to a report in Berliner Zeitung.
In the plan that Leipzig used to contend for the national nomination, Riesa was included to host 66 events including the sports of judo, boxing and taekwondo. However, in order to compete internationally it was decided to create a plan where most venues would be included within a 10 km radius. Riesa lies 90 km away.
Local anger over the situation has prompted residents to wear t-shirts emphasizing that the 2012 Games are Riesa’s too.
The new formalized plan is not expected to be released until as late as September 2003.
Meanwhile, there is still concern that German laws may prevent the selection of Leipzig for the 2012 Games. International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Thomas Bach called trademark protection for Olympic properties in Germany “insufficient”.
The problem lies in the way the German Olympic Committee uses the Olympic rings for marketing purposes. The rings are arguably the IOC’s most valuable asset and they require host countries to provide full trademark protection to enforce the value.
A new agreement is being worked on and Bach believes that the problem can be solved.
