Madrid is 'ideal' to host the 2020 games, says International Olympic Committee
Madrid is 'ideal' to host the 2020 games, says International Olympic Committee
INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee bosses say Madrid would be 'the perfect setting' for the games in the year 2020 and that its level of financial risk is 'maneagable'.
By contrast, Tokyo and Istanbul were told to rectify a number of 'issues' the Committee (COI) found fault with – whilst the Spanish capital was considered beyond reproach in a recent analysis of potential candidates.
The report – the contents of which were communicated to city mayoress Ana Botella by Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco – made positive comments about the work carried out to date on infrastructure with a view to hosting the games.
Among these, the fact that the Olympic Village, where competitors stay during the games, was 'less than 20 minutes away' from the competition area, and that this was 'compact and modern', as well as Madrid's long history of being a multi-cultural city very used to tourism and hosting large events, were all points in its favour.
The main Achilles' heel for Madrid in its candidature for the 2016 Olympics was the doping scandal, which the COI says the city has now 'cleared up'.
Despite residents' opposition to Madrid's applying to host the Olympics, based upon the high costs involved which they feel should be invested in healthcare, welfare and education, the COI says the winning city will get a 'substantial' grant towards the necessary facilities and services it would need to put in place and that most of the money Madrid would need to invest has already been used, meaning little further expense to the taxpayer.
