It seems that the racist abuse, by Spanish fans of English footballers on Wednesday, may well have killed Madrid's chances of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.
The IOC may be many things, but it is not stupid enough to knowingly associate its brand with racism.
Lord Coe, the head of the British bid team, was quick to recognise this. In his speech yesterday, outlining London's bid proposal, he put the athletic boot into Madrid.
He said that British Olympics would showcase Britain's "ethnic diversity and tolerance".
Referring to the scenes from Madrid, on Wednesday, he added:
"It was a disfiguring episode for anyone anywhere in sport."
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
Athens Busts Budget Again
It seems that the Athens Olympic budget has been busted again.
Previous reports that the cost of the Games would hit $12BN, seem to be a little on the "light side".
The total cost of the Athens Olympics may in fact exceed $14.6BN, according to Greece's 2005 budget submitted to parliament Thursday.
The extra costs have come from infrastructure projects, eg the metro extension to the airport, and other indirect public sector expenditures not included in the original Olympic budget.
Speaking as an accountant, I trust that the financial "experts" who forecast that the cost would not exceed $6BN get their backsides well and truly kicked.
Previous reports that the cost of the Games would hit $12BN, seem to be a little on the "light side".
The total cost of the Athens Olympics may in fact exceed $14.6BN, according to Greece's 2005 budget submitted to parliament Thursday.
The extra costs have come from infrastructure projects, eg the metro extension to the airport, and other indirect public sector expenditures not included in the original Olympic budget.
Speaking as an accountant, I trust that the financial "experts" who forecast that the cost would not exceed $6BN get their backsides well and truly kicked.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
New York Does It Large!
New York unveiled its detailed plans for its bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics yesterday.
It is promising to beam the Olympic Rings into the night sky over Manhattan, to illuminate the Empire State Building with the national colors of competing countries and to cover every available surface with Olympics advertising.
The latter point will definitely please the judges, given the fact that the Olympics are now entirely the plaything of the marketing men from the corporate world.
The triathlon event would use Central Park, whilst baseball and basketball would be played at Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden respectively.
New York would construct new sites including; an aquatics center in a 35-acre waterfront park in Brooklyn and a park for equestrian events on the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island.
The Olympic village would be built in Queens, and would accommodate the 4,400 athletes.
Ticket prices will be extortionate; between $550 and $1,500 for the opening ceremony, whilst ordinary tickets would cost around $50.
The IOC will visit New York in February 2005, and announce the winner in July.
It is promising to beam the Olympic Rings into the night sky over Manhattan, to illuminate the Empire State Building with the national colors of competing countries and to cover every available surface with Olympics advertising.
The latter point will definitely please the judges, given the fact that the Olympics are now entirely the plaything of the marketing men from the corporate world.
The triathlon event would use Central Park, whilst baseball and basketball would be played at Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden respectively.
New York would construct new sites including; an aquatics center in a 35-acre waterfront park in Brooklyn and a park for equestrian events on the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island.
The Olympic village would be built in Queens, and would accommodate the 4,400 athletes.
Ticket prices will be extortionate; between $550 and $1,500 for the opening ceremony, whilst ordinary tickets would cost around $50.
The IOC will visit New York in February 2005, and announce the winner in July.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Security Matters
An Australian company has signed an agreement with the Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), to develop security technology for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
QR Sciences Limited (QRS), a company that specialises in the development of Quadrupole Resonance based explosive detection systems, formalised a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year.
QRS will develop, and test, a multi-technology screening system; this will be capable of detecting radioactive and explosive materials, along with a range of weapons and narcotics.
The success of this will have positive repercussions for avionics, and other means of travel, worldwide.
QR Sciences Limited (QRS), a company that specialises in the development of Quadrupole Resonance based explosive detection systems, formalised a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year.
QRS will develop, and test, a multi-technology screening system; this will be capable of detecting radioactive and explosive materials, along with a range of weapons and narcotics.
The success of this will have positive repercussions for avionics, and other means of travel, worldwide.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Designer Apartments
It seems that the Olympics never quite fails to surprise me.
Tennis star Venus Williams will, if New York wins the bid for the 2012 Games, be expecting the athletes at the Games to be staying in her apartments.
No, she hasn't got an extremely large apartment in New York; she in fact has just set up a design company, that handles the interior design of apartments and houses.
Quote:
"...(Designing the apartments) was actually a really fun project... If we get the Olympics in New York in 2012 the athletes will be staying in something very much like (my design)...".
It seems that Williams's design skills were honed at the Athens Games; she helped design the orange newsboy caps, which were required headgear for McDonald's employees in Athens.
Hmmm!
Tennis star Venus Williams will, if New York wins the bid for the 2012 Games, be expecting the athletes at the Games to be staying in her apartments.
No, she hasn't got an extremely large apartment in New York; she in fact has just set up a design company, that handles the interior design of apartments and houses.
Quote:
"...(Designing the apartments) was actually a really fun project... If we get the Olympics in New York in 2012 the athletes will be staying in something very much like (my design)...".
It seems that Williams's design skills were honed at the Athens Games; she helped design the orange newsboy caps, which were required headgear for McDonald's employees in Athens.
Hmmm!
Monday, November 15, 2004
London Olympics Bid
London hands over its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games today.
Lord Coe, Olympic medal winner and chairman of the bid, expressed his confidence in the chances that London might host the Games for the first time since 1948.
The 600 page bid book will be handed over to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by Amber Charles, a 14-year-old basketball player from east London.
The final decision will be made by the IOC in July 2005.
The IOC will visit each city, to judge for themselves the state of readiness of each bidder.
London's success would mean the transformation of 1,500 acres of East London's Lower Lea Valley, which is one of the UK's poorest areas.
Other events would be held at; Wimbledon, the new Wembley, Lord's and heritage sites like Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park and Horse Guards.
Lord Coe, Olympic medal winner and chairman of the bid, expressed his confidence in the chances that London might host the Games for the first time since 1948.
The 600 page bid book will be handed over to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by Amber Charles, a 14-year-old basketball player from east London.
The final decision will be made by the IOC in July 2005.
The IOC will visit each city, to judge for themselves the state of readiness of each bidder.
London's success would mean the transformation of 1,500 acres of East London's Lower Lea Valley, which is one of the UK's poorest areas.
Other events would be held at; Wimbledon, the new Wembley, Lord's and heritage sites like Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park and Horse Guards.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
New York Bid
New York will submit its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games to the IOC tomorrow.
Mayor Bloomberg believes that the Games will attract $12BN of economic activity, and create 135,000 jobs.
Quote:
"We're going to turn it up a notch and, for the next eight months, we're going to work harder than ever to get the Summer Games for 2012 right here where they belong...".
The five boroughs of New York would all play a part in the Games; mountain biking at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, swimming and diving in Willliamsburg, Brooklyn, baseball in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, sailing off the Rockaways and the opening and closing ceremonies in a proposed new stadium on the Hudson River.
However, the plan for a West Side Stadium which would be home to the NFL's Jets, faces opposition from neighborhood groups. This uncertainty surrounding the stadium plan may complicate the bid.
Mayor Bloomberg believes that the Games will attract $12BN of economic activity, and create 135,000 jobs.
Quote:
"We're going to turn it up a notch and, for the next eight months, we're going to work harder than ever to get the Summer Games for 2012 right here where they belong...".
The five boroughs of New York would all play a part in the Games; mountain biking at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, swimming and diving in Willliamsburg, Brooklyn, baseball in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, sailing off the Rockaways and the opening and closing ceremonies in a proposed new stadium on the Hudson River.
However, the plan for a West Side Stadium which would be home to the NFL's Jets, faces opposition from neighborhood groups. This uncertainty surrounding the stadium plan may complicate the bid.
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