Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon officially confirmed Wednesday that Madrid will be bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
Ruiz-Gallardon said, “there’s no doubt that if a European city had been hosting the 2018 Games then our hopes on bidding again would probably not have been so roundly considered. The IOC sent out a very robust message that persistence can lead to victory”.
Madrid would be bidding for a third time after two failed bids for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games.
He said “Madrid has finished an extremely high percentage of the infrastructure needed for the organization of the Olympics and Paralympics and can count on the experience of the previous two bids and the recognition of the Olympic family”.
Ruiz-Gallardon said that the Madrid bid would provide a much needed boost to Spain’s economy, which has been battered by recession and unemployment.
He said Madrid’s bid budget would be half that of 2016, and not one Euro would be spent on infrastructure before the IOC votes for the 2020 host city in Buenos Aires in September 2013. He added, “our obligation is to look to the future and not be short sighted. We’re convinced by then that Spain will have gotten through the economic crisis and be in fine shape to host”.
