Jack Poole, CEO of Vancouver 2010, said when interviewed by The Toronto Star about Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic bid, “it would be easy but dangerous to get overconfident. I don’t know what I’m afraid of, but I’m terrified”.
Poole told the Star that the 2010 race won’t come clear until the IOC issues its short list of finalist cities in August. He said he didn’t know what the other cities are doing. “Salzburg is clearly serious. Switzerland, I’m not as sure”.
According to The Star Berne is leading the Swiss charge for 2010 but it’s been quiet to date. Salzburg has been more aggressive and is believed to be Vancouver’s strongest competition.
The GamesBids.com BidIndex has Berne’s bid leading the eight-city pack with Salzburg second and Vancouver in third place.
Vancouver’s “Achilles Heel” is the Sea-to-Sky Highway that winds its way between Vancouver and Whistler where some of the 2010 venues will be located. It’s one of the reasons Vancouver’s bid is in third place on Bid Index. Poole admitted the bid is dead without improvements to the highway.
Poole said, “our biggest obstacle will be winning the trust of IOC members. I think they can sleep at night if we’re the hosts. The question is, are we going to be able to effectively sell that”?
Poole said, “we’re hoping we’re the Beijing this time”, referring to Toronto losing the 2008 Games to Beijing. Then he said, “that’s a hope, not a statement”.
“Canada is a tiny little country and we can’t get past that”, he said. “But it looks like there’s a lot of cities in Europe interested in the 2012 Summer Games, which is a much bigger prize. I think the best way to do that (get the Games in Europe in 2012) is to give us the 2010 Winter Games. Austria and Switzerland might be worried about them, and let them worry”.
Although it is rumoured that Toronto, another Canadian city, will bid for the 2012 Summer Games, Poole said he’s received complete cooperation from Toronto 2008 supporters. He said a couple of TO-Bid workers are already working on Vancouver’s bid and more could join as things heat up.
“I think the fact that Toronto has been there (in Olympic competition) twice with good bids bodes well for us”.
“It’s like an IOU. The IOC may say, “Canada did a nice job twice and lost, let’s give this one to them”.
Meanwhile, two Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation employees have been selected as the Canadian representative and first alternate to attend the 42nd General Session of the International Olympic Academy in Athens and Olympia Greece.
They are Stephane Delise, coordinator for the Bid Corporation’s athlete speakers program and Scott Allen, sport relations coordinator for the bid.
