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Istanbul, Madrid And Tokyo Bid For 2020 Olympic Games

8th January 2013

OlympicsIstanbul, Madrid and Tokyo on Monday submitted their candidature files to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the race to host the 2020 Summer Games moved into a decisive phase ahead of September’s final vote.

The Mayor of Istanbul, Kadir Topbaş; leader of the Istanbul 2020 Bid Committee, Hasan Arat; and IOC member and president of the Turkish National Olympic Committee (NOC), Uğur Erdener, delivered the city’s vision for Turkey’s first ever Olympic and Paralympic Games at its fifth bidding attempt. Topbaş emphasised an unprecedented level of stakeholder unity that has enabled Istanbul 2020 to create a bid concept perfectly aligned with the city and country’s long-term development, adding that a successful bid would be the “defining achievement in nearly 100 years of the Republic of Turkey”.

Arat stated: “For the very first time, our desire to host the Games is matched by our capacity. We have been learning and evolving every step of the way, and today we are submitting a brand new and dramatically enhanced Games concept. Istanbul 2020 has a technically outstanding master plan and delivery structure, and we would grab the world’s attention with a breathtaking setting and a series of groundbreaking firsts, such as being the first ever Games held in two continents simultaneously. Now is the time for Istanbul; now we are ready to deliver.”

Madrid 2020’s delegation was led by Mayor Ana Botella; the president of the Spanish NOC and the bid committee, Alejandro Blanco; and Spain’s Secretary of State for Sport, Miguel Cardenal. Madrid is bidding for the third consecutive Games and its candidature file reportedly places great emphasis on its high-level of operational readiness through facilities already in place from previous tilts at the Olympics. Tokyo 2020 is bidding for the second successive Olympics and its delegation was headlined by Olympic football legend Homare Sawa and Paralympic swimming champion Takayuki Suzuki. The bid committee said Tokyo’s candidature file details the Japanese capital’s “unique plan” for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, explaining how the Games will help “reinforce and renew” the Olympic values for a new generation.

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and president of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020, said: “Based on lessons from our bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we have retained the best of that bid plan while adding important new strengths. Now that our candidature file is complete, Tokyo is one step closer to implementing an innovative and inspiring Games plan. The Games in 2020 in Tokyo will offer athletes, spectators and Olympic and Paralympic Family members a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The field for the 2020 Games was reduced to three in May after Baku in Azerbaijan and the Qatari capital of Doha discovered that they had been rejected for the second Summer Games tender in a row. Rome had earlier withdrawn its candidacy amid fears over the potential financial cost of a successful bid. The IOC Evaluation Commission, chaired by IOC vice-president Sir Craig Reedie, will now analyse the candidature files and make on-site inspections to Tokyo (March 4-7), Madrid (March 18-21) and Istanbul (March 24-27). The Commission will then prepare a detailed risk analysis report that will be published to coincide with the 2020 Candidate Briefing for IOC Members, which will take place in Lausanne on July 3-4. The election of the host city will take place on September 7 during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo can publicly release their candidature files today.

Source: sportbusiness.com