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Sport - preparing for 2016 Olympics
Olympic contenders line up for 2016 vote
by Barney Spender
Article published on the 2009-09-30 Latest update 2009-10-01 13:35 TU
Putting on a show - fireworks in the TV coverage of the Beijing Olympics were not fromthe ceremony which was disrupted by bad weather
(Photo: Reuters)
On Friday in Copenhagen, the International Olympic Committee will announce which city will host the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympics. Representatives of Chicago (US), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Madrid (Spain) and Tokyo (Japan) are already in the Danish capital , their nerves shredded, fingernails chewed to the bone.
At stake is the undoubted honour of hosting the most prestigious sporting event in the world. On a domestic level, it means a large-scale public works programme as stadiums and facilities take shape – Athens, which hosted the 2004 Games, benefited from a new airport and metro. It also offers city fathers the opportunity to fashion an urban facelift for the 21st century.
In Barcelona (1992) and Beijing (2008), large swathes of rundown inner-city areas were bulldozed and replaced with more spacious, people-friendly areas. London, which is hosting the next Games in 2012, is also redeveloping a large part of the east of the city with a view to a long-term rejuvenation of the area.
On an international scale, it means an increase in interest and for the year to 18 months before the Games a steady place in the media spotlight. That translates, without putting too fine a point on it, into money - cold hard cash.
Multinationals want to be involved, investors big and little hone in on the city like moths around a flame while tourists prepare to stuff their wallets for their Olympic pilgrimage.
Of course, there is also a downside to hosting the Olympics. For a start it is an extremely expensive event to host - officially Athens and Beijing cost around eight billion euros although the real cost was probably rather more - and when something goes wrong, it is the residents who bear the burden.
Athens staged a superb Games five years ago but at what cost? It was the first Games post 9/11 and the global neurosis of the Olympics becoming a terrorist target led not only to many tourists prefering not to travel but also to a spiralling security bill.
The Greek government, forced into some very hasty purchases found itself doubly short-changed. Not only was the equipment extremely expensive – the security bill rocketed to just under one billion euros - but much of it did not work. The taxpayers are still shelling out and will be for some years to come to foot the bill.
In spite of that, there is never any shortage of contenders. This is how the field shapes up for Friday’s vote:
Chicago: The early favourite to win the bid, Chicago, which made a big play of holding the “Green Games”, has been overshadowed in the last few months by Rio de Janeiro. So the city’s favourite son, US President Barack Obama, will be in Copenhagen to lobby for support. It worked for London four years ago when Tony Blair’s persistent glad-handing snatched the 2012 Games away from Paris, so it would be unwise to bet against Obama.
Previous Games in the US: St Louis (1904), Los Angeles (1932, 1984), Atlanta (1996)
Rio de Janeiro: As a stunning, exotic location, none of the other contenders can rival Rio. The question is whether the Brazilians can see the task through. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be trying to outshine Obama in the lobbying but in Copenhagen it may be the presence of footballing great Pele that tilts the scales. "I'm not here just for Brazil but for the whole of South America,” he says. Great one! And it may be the key argument come Friday. One potential drawback, though, is that the IOC may be reluctant to give Rio the Games two years after it hosts the football World Cup.
Previous Games in South America: None
Tokyo: In terms of planning, Tokyo is head and shoulders above the others. "There is no doubt we are the best choice," says bid chief Ichiro Kono. "We are here to win and we have the best technical plan.” Tokyo has gone green and would undoubtedly stage a spectacular Games. But with Beijing having hosted the Games in 2008, maybe the IOC is not keen to return to east Asia quite so soon. There is talk of new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama heading to Copenhagen. Let's see how he fares against Obama and Pele.
Previous Games in Japan: Tokyo (1964)
Madrid: Like Tokyo, Madrid is likely to suffer from geography. The IOC likes to spread the Olympics around the world, so there have not been back-to-back Games in Europe since London (1948) and Helsinki (1952). It doesn’t matter how good the Spanish bid is, they will not win – unless they come through the first round and then split the favourites. Over 93 per cent of Spanish citizens have expressed their clear support for the Games in Madrid. Local feeling is always an important factor but they won’t be the ones voting in Copenhagen.
Previous Games in Spain: Barcelona (1992)
 IOC chooses host city |
