The New York Times reports that William Martin, President of the United States Olympic Committee, believes that four states supporting Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games are not being disloyal to New York’s 2012 bid for the Summer Games.
The four states are Alaska, Oregon, Idaho and Washington. Earlier this year their legislatures passed resolutions backing Vancouver’s 210 bid. There is no U.S. city bidding for those Games.
Martin told the New York Times, “it’s natural and appropriate for those states to support Vancouver. I understand it. Michigan does things in co-operation with Ontario”.
Washington State Rep. Jeff Morris said those resolutions are smart business decisions for the Pacific Northwest states.
“There’s no disloyalty” said Morris. “Having the Olympics in New York would have no impact on us, but there’s a regional benefit to the entire region if the Olympics are in Vancouver”.
He said if the International Olympic Committee chooses Vancouver, it should have no impact on the New York bid for 2012. “You have Athens (in 2004) and Turin (in 2006) and how far apart are they? The IOC has shown it’s not an issue”.
