2012 Summer Olympics
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| Games of the XXX Olympiad | |
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| Nations participating | --- |
| Athletes participating | --- |
| Sports | --- |
| Opening ceremony | --- |
| Closing ceremony | --- |
| Officially opened by | --- |
| Athlete's Oath | --- |
| Judge's Oath | --- |
| Olympic Torch | --- |
| Olympic Stadium | --- |
| This article or section contains information about a current or ongoing event. |
| Information may change rapidly as the event progresses and may temporarily contain inaccuracies, bias, or vandalism due to a high frequency of edits. |
The 2012 Summer Olympics is formally known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad. The host city will be announced on 6 July 2005 and will be one of the following five candidate cities: Paris, London, Madrid, New York, and Moscow.
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The Election
July 6th, 2005 in Singapore
The Election Process
The Candidate Cities
Paris, France is considered by many to be the favourite to become the host city of the 2012 Olympics, after losing out to Barcelona and Beijing for the 1992 and 2008 Olympics, respectively. Paris' plan is very compact, with the placement of several sports in the Northern and Western Clusters and the Olympic Village between the two clusters. The plan has gained technical merit due to the city's excellent and well-maintained transport system, ability to handle peak number of tourists with plentiful accommodation, and very high support among Parisians and the nation. All Olympic plans will leave a significant urban, environmental, and sporting legacy and the plan for thirteen temporary venues will ensure that Paris is not left with white elephants. If granted the XXX Olympiad, Paris would become the first city ever to host the Olympic Games for a third time.
New York City, United States of America: The Big Apple was selected over San Francisco as the sentimental favorite during the United States competition in 2002. The Olympic X Plan is the main concept proposed by the NYC2012 Bid team; two primary transportation lines would string the several individual clusters in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn together. By combining existing world-class facilities such as Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, Central Park, and the National Tennis Center with new venues like the Brooklyn Arena, Greenbelt Olympic Equestrian Park, and Olympic Regatta Center. The city is plentiful accommodation and the one of the strongest aspects of the bid is the city's ability to market itself throughout the world. At the heart of the X is the 4,400 room Olympic Village which would provide spacious rooms well above the IOC benchmark. The setbacks created from the West Side Stadium debacle definetly hampered the bid in the short-run, but the New York bid has been revived with the utilization of a new Mets Stadium as the primary venue for athletics and the ceremonies. While a contender in the race for the 2012 Games, New York is not seen as the frontrunner to win.
Moscow, Russia: Moscow is representing Russia in a quest to define a "New Russia" by bidding for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The capital city's Olympic plans will build on top of the legacy created after the 1980 Summer Olympics. Moscow's River Plan calls for every single competition to be staged within city limits, making this one of the most compact proposals ever. All existing venues will be extensively renovated and more venues plan to be constructed in time for the Olypmics. A new, modern athletes village would be constructed on the Moscow River, which is the centerpiece and core of the the city's Olympic bid. Despite the high support from the entire nation and invaluable experience, Moscow's bid suffers from a lack of accommodation and an older transport system which may not cope with the expected traffic from the Olympics. Moscow is seen as the dark horse to win the nomination for the Olympics.
London, United Kingdom: After Birmingham and Manchester failed to deliver winning bids for the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, respectively, it was decided that only London, with unparalleled international recognition and a population of 7.3 million, could possibly be given the chance to host a Summer Olympic Games. The jewel of the London bid is the Lower Lea Valley, the location slated to be transformed from a less desirable location into a world-class Olympic Park and Olympic Village. It will be connected via high-speed shuttle service dubbed the Olympic Javelin and existing transportation links, capable of transferring 240,000 people an hour. After the Games, the East London region will host one of Europe's largest urban parks in decades and will be home to the Olympic Institute, a center for sports medical center and a place to study the Olympic ideals. The bid calls for substantial improvement of the London Tube system which will handle the Olympic crowds and more investment into new Olympic sites throughout London. Also, the bid committee proposes the London Paralympic Games, which would be as important as the Olympic Games. Many persons, including several bookmakers, have said that London is a close second in line to win the nomination.
Madrid, Spain: The capital city beat its southern counterpart Seville to represent Spain on the international stage. Madrid has presented a technically superior bid, with almost all sports contested in three clusters all within very close proximity of each other. Several existing facilities ensures the low financing necessary to host the Olympics; all new permanent sporting venues would provide a lasting legacy to the city. The transport infrastructure would be able to accommodate the hundreds of thousands expecting to gather in the capital, and this positive is coupled with the use of renewable energies and hydrogen vehicles. Madrid has also organized several high-quality European and world championships. The bid garners resounding support among the city and national population and is helped with the support of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who is lobbying votes for the Madrid team. Following the Evaluation Committee, which gave the concept generally high marks, Madrid has emerged as a primary contender against London and Paris.
The Olympic Evaluation Report
Excerpts from the International Olympic Committee's evaluation report - this section is from the Associated Press
Many have said that the evaluation report favors Paris with its almost flawless evaluation. New York, London, and Madrid are believed to be in line after Paris in terms of technical strength while Moscow received the harshest criticism.
Paris, France: Paris has based its vision on the long-standing relationship between Olympism and France and has planned athlete-centered Games. Paris has committed to providing a legacy to the city, the region, French athletes and the community generally. The Olympic Village would provide a significant new housing opportunity for inner Paris. The Paralympic Games are well integrated into the planning of Paris 2012. Overall, the environmental actions are comprehensive, innovative and integrated throughout planning and operations, and would result in significant gains and legacies from the Games. The budget has been professionally prepared with great detail. Assumptions for the budget are well supported and documented. Paris has extensive, well maintained and operated metropolitan road and rail transport systems. Paris has a rich cultural heritage with regard to Olympism. The candidature file and the information provided to the Commission during its visit were of a very high quality.
New York City, United States of America: The Olympic Games would lead to the upgrading of existing venues and the construction of new facilities which would ensure a legacy for Olympic sports. The Paralympic Games are well integrated into the planning of New York 2012. The bid proposes a comprehensive and ambitious three-phase promotion campaign in the seven years leading up to the Olympic Games. New York could not provide a guarantee for the use of the Olympic Square site (Olympic stadium and IBC). Compulsory purchase procedures may be required to obtain the proposed site for the Olympic Village. These procedures could delay land acquisition, which may impact on construction schedules. Given the vast market and enormous corporate presence in New York, the marketing plan and revenue targets are reasonable and achievable. The travel times quoted to competition venues from the Olympic Village appear achievable through the use of Olympic lanes. However, a number of venues are not fully served by the core network of dedicated Olympic lanes, which may make it difficult to achieve the stated travel times.
Moscow, Russia: Moscow proposes a memorable experience for all athletes with minimal travel times to venues. This would occur in a country which is establishing itself as the "New Russia." Current levels of some air pollutants are a concern but are improving. The budgeting process follows IOC guidelines. While low in sports venue operations, the budget appears to be reasonable and achievable. While Moscow has good sports experience and a high number of existing competition venues, the bid committee has not presented detailed design and operational plans or a detailed construction schedule. Although planning lacked detail, the Commission believes that the Moscow 2012 village concept is feasible. A lack of detailed planning in the candidature file and background information made it difficult for the Commission to evaluate the project.
London, United Kingdom: London has proposed Games based on providing world-class facilities and services for the athletes, and a legacy for sport and the community. Whilst the Olympic Park would undoubtedly leave a strong sporting and environmental legacy for London, the magnitude of the project, including the planned upgrade and expansion of transport infrastructure, would require careful planning to ensure all facilities and rehabilitation projects were completed on time. Air quality in London at proposed Games-time is generally satisfactory. Increasing levels of ozone pollution are however a concern, but legislation and actions now in place are aimed at correcting that trend. With its rich history, the capacities of UK Paralympic Sport are among the best in the world. Athletes have been closely involved in the planning of the Olympic Village. The east side of the village would appear to be somewhat crowded.
Madrid, Spain: Madrid has proposed humanist, sustainable and environmentally friendly Games. Madrid is a modern city intent on using the Olympic project to further develop high-quality sports facilities and world-class infrastructure. The legacy plans are positive and the environmental benefits are significant. Venues have strong environmental features. While low in technology and transport, the budget appears to be reasonable and achievable. The concept and location of the Olympic Village within the East cluster are good. Some revision to the design and layout of the village would be required to ensure conformity with IOC requirements. Spain has a history of international leadership in sport for the disabled, and a Madrid Paralympic Games would give high priority to accessibility for athletes and the general public. Overall, Olympic plans are well integrated into the long-term development of the city. Madrid may need to use hotels in cities approximately one hour away by high-speed rail in order to meet Olympic requirements and spectator needs.
NYC2012 and the West Side Stadium
Due to the scuttling of the New York Jets stadium over the Long Island Rail Road's West Side Yards by Sheldon Silver a "Plan B" came into being. The new plan calls for a New Mets Stadium in Willetts Point, Queens in the parking lot of Shea Stadium to be completed for the 2009 baseball season; it was announced on June 12, 2005. The plan would be to use the stadium for the 2012 Olympics while the Mets would play at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx for the 2012 season.
The Short List Report
The deadline to submit a bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games was July 15, 2003. All nine cities that submitted bids before that date also met the January 15, 2004 deadline for the 50-page questionnaire. The committee gave a weighted average score to each city based on scores in eleven categories, such as finance, security, accommodation, past experience and transport. On May 18, 2004, the International Olympic Committee announced a shortlist of potential hosts. The finalists are:
- 8.5 Paris, France
- 8.3 Madrid, Spain
- 7.6 London, United Kingdom
- 7.5 New York City, United States
- 6.5 Moscow, Russia
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- Paris's bid emerged as the highest scoring candidate with a general score of 8.5, although it received the highest score in only three categories ("Accommodation", "Safety and security" and "Experience from past sports events"). However, Paris received a 10 for "Accommodation" which is one of the most important categories.
- Madrid's bid ranked second with a general score of 8.3, ranking first in six categories ("Government support, legal issues and public opinion", "General infrastructure", "Sports venues", "Olympic Village", "Transport concept" and "Overall project and legacy").
- London's bid was ranked third on the list at 7.6. It scored poorly in the "Transport concept" and "Government support, legal issues and public opinion" categories, but it shared a 10 with Paris and New York in the important "Accommodation" category. Like Paris, its bid may be hampered by having already hosted the games twice (the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1948 Summer Olympics), though not as a result of a bidding process, so London would also be the first city to host them for a third time.
- New York City's bid scored fourth at 7.5, although it scored first in the "Accommodation" category, sharing a 10 with Paris and London. Their bid may be hampered by the fact that the 2010 Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver and organizers are believed to be eager to avoid having consecutive Olympics on the same continent. Additionally, the Summer Olympics have been held in the United States as recently as 1996 and 1984.
- Moscow's bid scored lowest of the selected candidates at 6.5. It did not score highest in any category and its bid may be further hampered by Moscow having already hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.
IOC members will now visit each city in turn during the early part of 2005. They will submit a report in May, which may result in the cutting of more candidates from the list. The final decision will be taken during the IOC Session in Singapore on July 6, 2005. Shortlisted candidates have been granted the right to use the Olympic flame and Olympic rings imagery in their campaign literature.c
Other Applicant Cities
Nine cities had submitted bids for the 2012 Olympics. Four of those cities did not make it to the shortlist:
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - scored 6
- Leipzig, Germany - scored 5.1
- Istanbul, Turkey - scored 4.8
- Havana, Cuba - scored 3.6
Other Cities that Bidded
Americas
- São Paulo, Brazil made a bid to the Brazilian Olympic Committee (won by Rio de Janeiro)
- Bids to the U.S. Olympic Committee (won by New York City):
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Dallas, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- San Francisco, California
- Tampa, Florida (in cooperation with nearby Orlando)
- Washington, D.C. (in cooperation with nearby Baltimore, Maryland)
- At least four other cities considered bids, but did not submit them to USOC
Europe
- Seville, Spain made a bid to the Spanish Olympic Committee (won by Madrid)
- Hamburg, Germany
- Stuttgart, Germany
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Dusseldorf, Germany
Wikipedia Links
External links
- Homepage of the Madrid bid (http://www.madrid2012.es/home/index.asp?CodPag=&s_fecha=&palabrasClave=)
- Homepage of the Paris bid (http://www.parisjo2012.fr/)
- Homepage of the London bid (http://www.london2012.org/en)
- Homepage of the New York bid (http://www.nyc2012.com/)
- Homepage of the Moscow bid (http://www.m2012.ru/en/)
- Homepage of the Istanbul bid (http://www.olympist.org/en/index.htm)
- Homepage of the Leipzig bid (http://www2.leipzig2012online.info//cgi-bin/849/vio.matrix?or=1&typ=inhalt&kd_0001=lang&kd_lang=en)
- Homepage of the San Francisco bid (http://basoc.org/basoc2012/)
- Homepage of the Houston bid (http://action.roadshowmedia.com/Houston2012/html/default.htm)
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es:Juegos Olímpicos de 2012 fr:Jeux Olympiques d'été de 2012 pl:Letnie Igrzyska Olimpijskie 2012 zh-cn:2012年夏季奥林匹克运动会