A Reuters survey of 32 sports journalists in more than 20 countries shows Paris as the frontrunner in the race for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
Paris was picked by 18 of the respondents as most likely to be selected host city over New York, London, Madrid and Moscow when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) makes its decision on July 6.
Jens Littorin of Dagens Nyheter in Stockholm said, “France has been hosting many successful events in recent years – the (soccer) World Cup in 1998 and the world championships in athletics in 2003. They have a good bid and from a security point of view it might be the best choice”.
Roger Crutchley of the Bangkok Post said, “historically it’s simply the right time for Paris to host the Olympics after 80 years out in the cold”.
New York was second in the poll with seven votes. Some argued that after Australia hosted the Games in 2000, Europe in 2004 and Asia hosting in 2008 it should be America’s turn in 2012.
Jurgen Preusser of Vienna’s Kurier newspaper selected New York with its extensive experience of host sporting events, including the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid. He said, “Lake Placid is too long ago. It’s America’s turn (and) New York has never had a chance like this”.
London received six votes in the survey, Madrid got one vote, respondents saying it was too soon to return to Spain after the 1992 Barcelona Games; and Moscow, which got poor marks in an IOC report in March for environmental impact, transport, safety and security, was last in the poll with no votes.
GamesBids.com’s BidIndex also has Paris in first place with Madrid second followed by London, New York and Moscow.
Meanwhile, Paris is promoting its bid this winter at three temporary ice skating rinks located in front of Paris’ city hall, at Montparnasse Station, and on the first level of the Eiffel Tower.
All three skating rinks are displaying the colours of Paris 2012. The logos are frozen into the ice.
Also 20 buildings in the city have been adorned with Paris 2012 colours and a message illustrating the city’s support for the 2012 bid.
London 2012 is also promoting its bid by launching a campaign to rally public support for the bid. The bid committee announced a target of one million registered supporters.
Bid leader Sebastian Coe said that public support for the bid would play a key role in London’s final presentation to the IOC.
He said, “every registered supporter counts. The more registered supporters the bid can show the easier it is to demonstrate the UK’s support and passion to host the Games in 2012”.
More than 250,000 people have already registered their support for London 2012 online, by text or in person.
