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04/07/2005
Blair in Singapore ahead of Olympic vote
Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Singapore today, engaging in last minute campaigning for London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
Mr Blair is due to meet between 20 and 30 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for one-to-one meetings on Monday and Tuesday. The IOC will decide which country will host the 2012 Games in a vote on Wednesday.
Mr Blair said: “I’m here, in a way, to say that it’s a bid that’s got the enthusiastic support of the British people.”
However, Mr Blair’s visit has been marred by a row with the Paris bid team, over negative comments made by consultants to London’s bid team regarding a French stadium.
Jim Sloman, the former chief operating officer at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, said that the Stade de France had been built for football, not athletics and said it had “sight-line problems”. He said that the stadium in London, which has yet to be built, would be built specifically for athletics.
Another consultant Rob Sheard, said that the Stade de France was a “wonderful stadium” and he had been there to watch rugby. However, he said: “Unfortunately rugby is not part of the Olympics.”
The remarks could be seen to be in breach of IOC regulations, which forbids rival cities from commenting on each other’s bids. However, the leaders of the Paris bid have said they will not be making a complaint to the IOC, leaving it to the Committee to decide on whether the comments are in contravention of the rules.
Paris is currently the favourite to secure the 2012 Olympic Games, followed by London. New York, Madrid and Moscow are also in the running to host the Games.
Olympic Chief Jacques Rogge has been reported as saying that the race is very close and could be decided by as little as half a dozen votes.
Mr Blair, accompanied by his wife Cherie, will also be attending a number of receptions during their visit to Singapore, before returning to host the G8 summit, which take places in Gleneagles, Scotland, between July 6 – 8.
A number of top sporting celebrities are in Singapore ahead of the IOC’s vote. England football captain David Beckham is backing the London bid, while legendary boxer Muhammed Ali is supporting New York’s bid.
The IOC’s vote will take place at Singapore’s Raffles City Convention Centre on July, around 12:45 BST.
(KMcA/MB)
Mr Blair is due to meet between 20 and 30 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for one-to-one meetings on Monday and Tuesday. The IOC will decide which country will host the 2012 Games in a vote on Wednesday.
Mr Blair said: “I’m here, in a way, to say that it’s a bid that’s got the enthusiastic support of the British people.”
However, Mr Blair’s visit has been marred by a row with the Paris bid team, over negative comments made by consultants to London’s bid team regarding a French stadium.
Jim Sloman, the former chief operating officer at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, said that the Stade de France had been built for football, not athletics and said it had “sight-line problems”. He said that the stadium in London, which has yet to be built, would be built specifically for athletics.
Another consultant Rob Sheard, said that the Stade de France was a “wonderful stadium” and he had been there to watch rugby. However, he said: “Unfortunately rugby is not part of the Olympics.”
The remarks could be seen to be in breach of IOC regulations, which forbids rival cities from commenting on each other’s bids. However, the leaders of the Paris bid have said they will not be making a complaint to the IOC, leaving it to the Committee to decide on whether the comments are in contravention of the rules.
Paris is currently the favourite to secure the 2012 Olympic Games, followed by London. New York, Madrid and Moscow are also in the running to host the Games.
Olympic Chief Jacques Rogge has been reported as saying that the race is very close and could be decided by as little as half a dozen votes.
Mr Blair, accompanied by his wife Cherie, will also be attending a number of receptions during their visit to Singapore, before returning to host the G8 summit, which take places in Gleneagles, Scotland, between July 6 – 8.
A number of top sporting celebrities are in Singapore ahead of the IOC’s vote. England football captain David Beckham is backing the London bid, while legendary boxer Muhammed Ali is supporting New York’s bid.
The IOC’s vote will take place at Singapore’s Raffles City Convention Centre on July, around 12:45 BST.
(KMcA/MB)
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