According to an IOC report, on a scale from one to 10, with 10 being the best, a benchmark of six was set for candidate cities. Vancouver and Salzburg were deemed above that benchmark while Berne and Pyeongchang straddled it.
The other four candidates were “mostly below or completely below” the benchmark and were eliminated as bid cities for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
There was some concern about Vancouver 2010’s “Achilles heel”, the Sea-To-Sky highway, a narrow highway connecting Vancouver and Whistler.
Jack Poole, chairman and chief executive of Vancouver’s 2010 bid said, “that has been identified by our opponents as an issue. We’ve asked our government to tell us what the solution will be”.
Mike Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee said, “the highway won’t be an issue because a plan to improve the road will be announced in the fall”.
Representatives of cities on the short list will attend a five-day workshop in Lausanne, starting Sept. 9, where IOC officials will explain bidding do’s and don’ts.
So sure were Vancouver 2010 bid officials that they would be on the short list, they bought their tickets before the decision was made.
The IOC is also sending a panel of experts to visit the finalists and compile a detailed report on their sports venues, financial plans and other technical issues. Site visits by IOC members remain prohibited as part of the reforms enacted following the Salt Lake City bid scandal.
Also, as part of a cost-cutting measure, the finalists won’t be allowed to launch any international promotional campaigns until Jan. 10, 2003.
And candidate cities will be allowed to use the Olympic rings on their literature.
The IOC’s technical delegates will visit the two cities in a few months. Vancouver’s visit is scheduled between Feb. 15 and March 15.
Meanwhile, Vancouver’s bid keeps moving along. General Motors became a bid sponsor yesterday, pledging to collect signatures of support and supply vehicles for community events.
And The Canadian Federation of Small Businesses released a survey showing that 93 per cent of its B.C. members see a positive short-term impact from hosting the Games, with 75 per cent feeling the benefit would continue into the long term.
