The IOC 2012 Olympic bid evaluation team are now in London. Their evaluation will last for four days, and constitutes the second stop of their five city tour.
Lord Coe, the former Olympic champion, is heading London's bid team. His task is to convince the inspectors London has the desire, and the ability, to host the Games.
The evaluation team, which started in Madrid, will next travel to New York, then Paris before finishing in Moscow in mid-March. The IOC will announce the winning city in Singapore on July 6.
London has spent much of its campaign lagging behind the recognised front runner Paris, which already has a stadium.
London's very obvious Achilles heal is its transport system, described rather politely as "often obsolete"; additionally, Londoners really do not want the Games in the city.
Coe argues that London's transport problems have been dealt with.
Tell that to the hapless commuters who have to suffer the delays, and overcrowding every day!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Cherie Puts Her Foot In It
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife, Cherie Blair, put her foot in it; when trying to make a joke in Australia during her book promotion tour.
The IOC delegation arriving in London, to judge London's worthiness to host the 2012 Olympic Games, will be asking what she meant when she told her audience:
"We are going to win the bid, what does Paris know about culture?"
Mrs Blair also managed to annoy New Zealand diners by mistaking the country for Australia.
The rules about "entertaining" IOC delegates are now very strict, since the money-for-cash scandal provoked by 2002 Winter Games hosts Salt Lake City. The hosts can only provide one "social" event during its visit.
In London the "event" will be dinner with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. There was therefore further confusion, when it was reported that Downing Street would be putting on a "reception". The IOC contacted London for clarification.
In IOC terminology "reception" means food will be served, and following discussions between Lausanne and London the Downing Street event has been billed as a "working meeting".
No food will be provided when the IOC members meet Tony and Cherie Blair, culture secretary Tessa Jowell and London mayor Ken Livingstone.
How very dull!
The IOC delegation arriving in London, to judge London's worthiness to host the 2012 Olympic Games, will be asking what she meant when she told her audience:
"We are going to win the bid, what does Paris know about culture?"
Mrs Blair also managed to annoy New Zealand diners by mistaking the country for Australia.
The rules about "entertaining" IOC delegates are now very strict, since the money-for-cash scandal provoked by 2002 Winter Games hosts Salt Lake City. The hosts can only provide one "social" event during its visit.
In London the "event" will be dinner with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. There was therefore further confusion, when it was reported that Downing Street would be putting on a "reception". The IOC contacted London for clarification.
In IOC terminology "reception" means food will be served, and following discussions between Lausanne and London the Downing Street event has been billed as a "working meeting".
No food will be provided when the IOC members meet Tony and Cherie Blair, culture secretary Tessa Jowell and London mayor Ken Livingstone.
How very dull!
Sunday, February 13, 2005
A Night on The Town
On 23 February the IOC officials, evaluating New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, will arrive at the Plaza Hotel.
Carriages will take them to Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse for dinner and drinks. The guest list will contain some of New York's finest including Gov. George Pataki and Donald Trump.
The group will then go to the Lincoln Center, where they will enjoy a gala musical evening.
The cost of this night on the town is not known, but will be paid for by the New York organising committee.
The IOC anti bribe rules allow one night "on the town".
Other events are less fun, they include; briefings and question-and-answer sessions with various authorities about emergency health care, marketing, security, transportation, the Olympic Village and other elements of the city's bid.
There will also be tours of the prospective venues, including; Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the rail yards of far west Manhattan where the Olympic stadium would be built.
Carriages will take them to Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse for dinner and drinks. The guest list will contain some of New York's finest including Gov. George Pataki and Donald Trump.
The group will then go to the Lincoln Center, where they will enjoy a gala musical evening.
The cost of this night on the town is not known, but will be paid for by the New York organising committee.
The IOC anti bribe rules allow one night "on the town".
Other events are less fun, they include; briefings and question-and-answer sessions with various authorities about emergency health care, marketing, security, transportation, the Olympic Village and other elements of the city's bid.
There will also be tours of the prospective venues, including; Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the rail yards of far west Manhattan where the Olympic stadium would be built.
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