Madrid claim IOC inspection boost
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-04 14:30

Madrid claimed overnight that their bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games had received an early boost following the first full day of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation commission visit.

Spain's King Juan Carlos (C) welcomes the leader of the International Olympic evaluation committee, Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco (R) in front of Spain's Queen Sofia at Madrid's Royal palace February 3, 2005. The IOC inspectors arrived in Madrid as its first port of call to tour the five cities competing to stage the 2012 Olympic Games. After Madrid the commission will visit London, New York, Paris and Moscow. [Reuters]

"We are very satisfied," said Feliciano Mayoral, the head of the Madrid-2012 bid committee.

"All of the team is happy at the way it has gone. All questions have been answered.

"We have shown that not only do we have a great plan but also the professional people to lead it."

The evaluation commission is made up of 13 members and is presided over by Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel, the 400m hurdles champion at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

The commission questioned a number of officials on various aspects of the organisation including security, which could be a major headache for the authorities after the Spanish capital was hit by bomb attacks, linked to Al Qaeda, last March.

Bombs on commuter trains left 200 people dead.

Madrid mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardon insisted that security would be of the paramount importance.

"If chosen, Madrid would be the safest city in the world during the Games," he said.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also lent his weight to the bid.

"All Spaniards feel like they are Madrilenians," he said after the bid chiefs had faced a tense 10-hour grilling by the commission.

Madrid is the first candidate city to be inspected and it will be followed by London (Feb 16-19), New York (Feb 21-24), Paris (March 9-12) and Moscow (March 14-17).

The winning city will be announced in Singapore on July 6.

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