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Paris gets IOC's top grade among 2012 Olympic bidders
Paris remains the front-runner to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, as an evaluation of the 2012 bidders released Monday did little to change the face of a competition entering its last month.
New York bid officials were thrilled with the marks they received from the International Olympic Committee-appointed evaluators, which seemed to keep the city's upset hopes alive. Those hopes were all but dashed later in the day when the state's Public Authorities Control Board failed to approve $300 million in state funding for the $2.2 billion Olympic/ New York Jets stadium plan. (Related item: IOC releases 2012 bid report)
IOC members will choose the 2012 host July 6 from a field that also includes London, Madrid and Moscow.
The report didn't rank the cities - the most competitive and glamorous field in Olympic bid history - but will serve as a guide for the 117 eligible voting IOC members when they cast secret ballots in Singapore.
"The IOC report issued this morning continued the bid's strong momentum and put New York in a great position to win in Singapore in July," New York bid leader Dan Doctoroff said. "But in one confusing stroke late this afternoon, the PACB has apparently sought to disrupt all of this extraordinary effort."
New York's lack of a guaranteed Olympic stadium site was among few shortcomings mentioned in the report. Evaluators also found that high-rise buildings included in the athletes' village would require "detailed planning" and that projected travel times between the village and venues might be "difficult to achieve."
The primary positive attributed to New York is its "strong revenue-generating potential."
Paris, which finished behind Beijing in voting for the 2008 Summer Games, has been considered the favorite all along. Evaluators included no negative comments about the Paris bid, noting repeatedly how well the city's plan conforms to IOC President Jacques Rogge's visions for Games that leave a legacy and few white-elephant venues.
After the report was released, British bookmaker Ladbrokes kept Paris as the favorite, followed by, in order, London, Madrid, New York and Moscow.
As with New York, evaluators raised minor questions about London and Madrid. They were most critical of Moscow.
Paris, which hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924, also got high marks for its detailed budget, "extensive" transportation system and "rich cultural heritage with regard to Olympism."
"This report confirms that Paris 2012's proposal to the IOC offers them exceptional prospects for the Games of the XXXth Olympiad in 2012," said Philippe Baudillon, chief executive officer of Paris 2012. "We still, however, have to convince the IOC that our vision is the correct one and that Paris could be the right partner at the right time for the IOC."
Banned from visiting candidate cities after the Salt Lake City bid scandal, IOC members rely on the evaluation report for technical assessments of Olympic bids. Although their votes often reflect other factors, such as geopolitical ties, their interpretation of the report can boost or doom a city's chances.
New York's chances, though, suffered Monday despite the report's affirmations.
"This would have been tremendous for New York City," New York Gov. George Pataki said after the failed vote Monday. "We all know the report today indicated that New York was right in there with the top three."
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