Bids to host Olympics not affected by crisis

Tokyo and Chicago, two of the candidate cities to host the 2016 Olympic Games, are ready for the challenge financially and spiritually despite the global economic crisis, according to the bid leaders.

"Our bid is not affected by the global economic crisis, since we have already raised $3 billion for our bid," Ichiro Kono, the Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016 told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in Istanbul, where he was seeking support for Tokyo at the European Olympic Committees Assembly.

Having hosted the Games in 1964, Tokyo is ready with its Olympics village, said Kono adding that they already have 70 percent of the village done and will be building only five other new venues, if they are elected.

"We are not worried about the sponsors. Many big Japanese companies are willing to support us if we are elected," said Kono.

The global crisis affected all the bids according to Patrick Ryan, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Chicago 2016. However, Ryan also said they secured their bid.

"Fortunately for us we have much of the infrastructure, however it is a global crisis," he said in an interview with the Daily News. "Before the crisis hit we raised a high percentage of the money to fund the bid." Ryan added that the games are eight years away so they have time to find sponsors.

Obama effect
Chicago, which has become more prominent with the election of homeboy Barrack Obama as President of the United States, also promotes its beauty and passion.

"Chicago is a great city with three million people who are passionate about hosting the game. It is a beautiful city with a wonderful lake front and parks," said Ryan.

Obama’s election has changed the dynamics of the race, as he has been a high-profile backer of the Chicago bid. He lives a few blocks from the planned Olympic stadium and his victory speech was given in Grant Park, which is at the heart of the proposed Olympic venues.

"We cannot speak about the schedule of Obama, but we know that his attitude and his desire are to support our bid and we expect that too," said Ryan. A video message from Obama, taped since his election victory, is expected to be included in Chicago's 20-minute delivery.

As the bid leaders had their last chance to promote themselves to European delegates, they promoted their city’s cultural, sportive, and financial structure and highlighted that they had secured funding for their bid.

Chicago’s promotion put forward the slogans of, "Passion of Their People," and "The Sports Being a Part of Their City."

Tokyo's bid highlights the slogan, "Uniting the City and Nature; Uniting People and Uniting the World."

Tokyo's bid promoted their culture, meals, traditions and hospitality as a part of the games. "The spectators will meet the city life as well as our traditions and culture," said Kono.

Kono claimed that Tokyo is a city successfully tackling urbanization, aging and environmental problems. "Tokyo can be a role model for the big cities around the world with our high technology offering urbanization and natural life together," said Kono.

Both bidders said they believe the most important criteria to be elected will be having the Olympic values in the city and in the campaign.

Major countries have been dominating the Olympic bidding processes for over a decade. The bidders spoke very diplomatically about the future of the games and the low chances of the smaller cities to host the games. "Any city whose people and government really want to host the games can do that," said Ryan. Also, Kono said the big cities will be a role model for the smaller ones and all cities have the chance to host future Games.

The two bid leaders were careful when they talked about the other bids. "I am not allowed under the IOC rules to comment on the other bids," said Kono, politely avoiding the questions about the chances of the other three cities.

Disadvantages
After the Atlanta and Los Angeles Olympic games, Chicago’s chance is high according to the bid leader. "We wouldn’t engage in that if we didn’t believe that we had the chance to win. But we think we are very competitive and going up against three of the other world class cities. However, Chicago is a good, outstanding city," said Ryan.

Tokyo also has the disadvantage of having hosted the Games before. But the bid leader believes the contrary. "The number of participant countries and the world population doubled since we hosted the games in 1964. The world and cities are changing," said Kono, promising that a different Tokyo will be hosting the games this time, if elected.

Rogge: IOC must control costs

The Olympic movement is on sound financial footing but must hold down the size and cost of the games to cope with the global economic downturn, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Friday.

"The games are not anymore in a growth mode, they are in a conservation mode," Rogge said in an address to the European Olympic Committees.

Rogge said future financial backing of the IOC by broadcasters and sponsors will depend on successful staging of the games.

"This is what I would call virtual money. If there are no good games, there will be less money," he said. "We must make sure the games do not become too sophisticated, too big and too costly. Every demand to add more sports on the program adds to the difficulty of staging good games."

Rogge said the IOC must maintain its cap of 28 sports and 10,500 athletes for the Summer Games, and resist an "underground swell" to increase the number to more than 30 sports.

Photo: AP