Madrid officially launched its international campaign in Beijing for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The launch was accompanied by a new video – “Whoever you are, from wherever you are, how you are: Welcome” – which provides a multicultural face to the bid.
Those attending the launch included Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.; Madrid 2016 CEO Mercedes Coghen; Alejandro Bianco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee; Jaime Lissavetzky, Spanish Secretary of State for Sport; and Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, Mayor of Madrid, each saying why they passionately believe that Madrid is the ideal city to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Madrid’s Mayor said, “in August of 2016, when the Games will be celebrated in Madrid, we won’t need to adopt special measures of any type to guarantee a transportation system; adequate temperature for the sports competitions; we now have levels of pollution that are way below very demanding European standards”. He added, “we have designed the Games of Madrid as the ‘Games of the People'”.
Coghen said, “we have a technically strong Olympic project with more than 70 per cent of the infrastructure already built and the rest assigned. The Olympic village will be the symbol of the Madrid 2016 Games with common space between buildings so athletes from different sports can mix together.
“Twenty five of the 30 sport venues will be less than 12 km from the centre of Madrid and all venues will be united by an extraordinary public transport network to create a Games where there is really no need for private transport”.
Barcelona’s Mayor Jordi Hereu was there to pledge his city’s support. Barcelona staged the 1992 Olympics and would host football matches in 2016.
Madrid’s Mayor said, “it shows that unity exists across the political spectrum”.
Spain’s King Juan Carlos is expected to attend the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote for the 2016 Games.
