In the eyes of one IOC official “Toronto had by far the best presentation. I would support having the Games somewhere else, but I thought their concept blew everything away today”.
And IOC member Dick Pound called it a very good presentation. “Were they the best? I’d say there wasn’t anyone better. But they were all good”.
Well, Toronto may have had the best presentation in front of the IOC for the 2008 bid, but will it be enough to win the 2008 Games.
At a news conference, city officials said Toronto will win its bid for the 2008 Olympic Games if the decision is based on what’s best for the athletes.
John Bitove, CEO of Toronto’s bid, boasted that Toronto is a high-tech city that would provide the best television broadcast facilities so that the rest of the world would get maximum enjoyment from the Olympics.
Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman stressed the city’s multiculturalism, saying Toronto is home to people from 169 countries who speak more than 100 languages.
And Bitove said 25 of 28 venues to be used for Toronto’s Games would be within 6 km of the athletes village, built on Toronto’s port lands.
