2020 Olympic Bids Make International Debuts

(ATR) The five cities bidding for the 2020 Olympics make their first presentations to an international audience, each of them trying to stand out from the field. The cities appeared at the Association of National Olympic Committees general assembly in Moscow.

Istanbul, Tokyo, Baku, Doha and Madrid were allocated 10 minutes each to make their case to the ANOC delegates.

While they are still prohibited from engaging in international promotion until next January, the five bids were given the chance to present to the world’s NOCs now as ANOC will not meet again before the IOC vote in September 2013

Istanbul Pitches New Turkey

Istanbul 2020 leaders say they have "listened and learned" from Turkey's previous four bid failures to offer a more compact Games plan this time around.

The Turkish bid was the first of the five 2020 applicant cities to present to the Association of National Olympic Committees general assembly on Saturday.

The ANOC meeting is the first time the bids have presented on the international stage.

Ugur Erdener, president of the Turkish NOC, and Hasan Arat, head of the bid, used the 10-minute allocation to present a new Istanbul to representatives of the 203 NOCs present at the session. Other bid team members on stage included a national team volleyball player and president of the country's tennis federation.

"Your feedback has been invaluable [in developing the bid]," Erdener said.

Stressing that the bid was a national priority, he underlined that Turkey's Olympic ambitions already enjoyed the support of 90 percent of Istanbul's population.

He also spoke of Turkey's thriving economy and highlighted that half or the country's 70 million people are under the age of 25.

"This is a new bid from a new Turkey. They will take the Olympic Movement forward in the 21st century and build a bridge to the future," he said.

Erdener was at pains to emphasize that any Turkish bid for the UEFA Euro 2020 football championships would not threaten the Olympic bid.

"In the Istanbul 2020 application file, Turkey made a clear commitment not to host any other event around the 2020 games. This commitment was supported by our prime minister. It is part of the host city contract and it is a binding commitment on behalf of Turkey," he said.

UEFA's deadline for all expressions of interest in hosting its quadrennial showpiece is the middle of May, just a week before the IOC decides the shortlist of 2020 candidate cities on May 23.

Istanbul showed a video to showcase the city's landscape, dominated by the Bosphorus, which also included clips of the city's recent indoor world athletics championships and some of the sports the country excels in.

Arat gave a quick overview of the Games masterplan which includes four venue zones; the average journey time for athletes would be 20 minutes on the Games route network, he said.

"We already have our multibillion dollar Games delivery structure in place and have engaged our existing government-backed development partners," he added.

"Imagine the iconic backdrop of the Bosphorus and the unique opportunity to celebrate Games on two continents," he concluded.

"Today, tomorrow and every day along this journey to 2020, we are ready to partner with you and the entire Olympic Movement."

The 10-minute presentation by Istanbul was the only one to keep to the time limit for the bids.

Tokyo Stresses Compact, Improved Bid

The four speakers in the presentation by Tokyo stressed the compact plan offered in the 2020 bid – and the improvements made over the 2016 bid.

The new plans for an Olympic Village overlooking the Tokyo skyline were center stage. Volleyball Olympian and Japan NOC vice president Yuko Arikada says the location, within 8km of 28 venues, offers benefits for athletes with less need for them to spend time travelling. And she said the village would be 50 percent larger than the one proposed for the 2016 bid.

Masato Mizuno, bid CEO noted the influence of that last bid.

"Our Games concept is clear and simple. It is based on listening and learning from our previous bid, making strategic improvements wherever needed. So, in a nutshell, we kept the best and improved the rest," he said.

Mizuno also mentioned the stability that Tokyo offers.

"A city that is totally safe and has world-class infrastructure in place now. And the spectacular capital of a country whose economy is the third biggest in the world. Indeed, Tokyo is the city with the highest GDP of any in the world and so offers financial certainty and stability," he said.

Other speakers, all using English, included JOC President Tsunekaza Takeda and 2004 Olympic gold medalist in swimming Ai Shibata, who made the only reference in the presentation to the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.

"In the last year, like many Olympians, I have attended events throughout north-east Japan. We have seen how sport is helping young people and communities to build their lives again," she said without making any direct link that an Olympic Games would provide relief to the stricken region.

The presentation lasted 12 minutes.

Baku Offers Sustainable Model

The First Lady of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyev, helped make the pitch to delegates explaining why her country wants to stage the 2020 Games.

She underlined the strong government support for the country's quest to land the Olympics, also noting that the bid had a 95 percent public approval rating.

"We recognize the political and financial commitment needed to stage the Games. Let me assure you we are ready. We are ready because we really want these Games," she told delegates.

There was much talk in Baku's presentation of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city based on ancient cultures that has a long and diverse sports history.

She added: "When our city’s ancient symbol, the eternal flame of Baku, welcomes the Olympic flame of peace and hope, our entire nation will celebrate the realisation of a common dream. And we will look forward to sharing this dream with all our guests in Baku."

Narguiz Birk-Petersen, the bid’s new communications director, opened the city’s presentation after a brief video introduced the sights of Baku.

Baku claims to be proposing new sustainable hosting model for the Olympics. "We want to prove that an Olympic Games is not only a sound investment in a nation’s sport, health and quality of life, but that it can be hosted in a responsible manner which, in turn, provides a sustainable Games hosting model for the future," she said.

Noting that the country boasts one of the strongest, fastest growing economies in the world, sports and venues director Elkhan Mammadov said: "We offer the Olympic Movement a Games model based on true need; this means sustainable venues designed to remain in place, serving local and regional athletes. Our model can show future potential host cities that the Olympic Games are achievable, responsible investments for the future."

Baku's use of Olympic veteran Bob Elphinston of Australia, the bid's Games planning consultant, brought a well-known face on the Olympic circuit who offered an immediate connection with the NOCs and federations present.

"We all know that NOCs are the foundation of the movement and with the federations, are the heart of Olympic sport. It has been my privilege and pleasure to work alongside an extremely talented Azeri team to produce the Baku 2020 Games plan, a plan based on a singular ideal – the athletes," said Elphinston.

A video illustrated the Baku Games master plan in which the Olympic stadium cluster is located just 10 minutes from the Olympic Village. The message was: our venue-concept is athlete-centered and legacy-driven.

The Baku presentation lasted 12 minutes.

Doha Takes Heat Out of Bid

The Qatari bid presented the first public opportunity for IOC member and Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al-Thani to speak on behalf of the bid.

While the support of the country’s IOC member would seem to be a given, Sheikh Tamim is also the heir apparent, in line to succeed his father one day as the Emir of Kuwait.

"We want to utilize the 2020 Games to create new sporting and commercial opportunities for the Olympic movement, develop sporting venues that benefit an entire region, enhance and grow women’s sports throughout the Arab world, and build new bridges of hope and understanding between the Middle East and the international community," said the sheikh.

He spoke after an opening video that showed an unidentified runner trekking through the streets of Doha, drawing admiring glances from those he passes by.

The sheikh also mentioned the efforts at grassroots to grow sport in Qatar, saying the response shows Qataris are interested in "an active lifestyle".

And he addressed what may be the biggest issue for the Qatar bid, the heat that settles over the country for most of the year. He thanked international federations for agreeing with Doha’s plans to stage the Olympics from Oct. 2 to 18.

"You could say that we have finally taken the heat out of Doha’s hot issue," quipped the bid leader.

He was followed by bid CEO Noora Al Mannai who covered the venues planned for the Games, noting that most of them have been built for previous events staged in Doha.

"Our plan assures no white elephants," pledged the CEO.

"It is a totally sustainable approach, for the environment, for the venues, for our communities and for sport in the region," she said.

Advancing the cause of women in sport in the Arab world is another theme Doha will advance as part of its bid.

Swimmer Nada Mohammed Wafa Arakji, who will compete at the London Olympics, gave credit to the effect sport has had on her life.

"With Doha 2020 we have the chance to ensure greater opportunities for women and girls just like me across the Arab region. Our bid is about inspiring young people," she said, a theme that is also common among each of the 2020 bids.

The presentation from Qatar lasted 12 minutes.

Madrid Targets Youth

Despite losing out in bids for 2012 and 2016, IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch kicked off the pitch by stressing that his team and Spanish society had lost none of their enthusiasm to stage the Olympics.

He said Madrid had learned from its last two bid campaigns and, in a direct address to delegates, insisted the bid recognized the importance of fully cooperating with the government, IOC and Olympic constituents "some of whom are represented here".

Using the most speakers of any of the 2020 applicants, the Madrid team varied between English, French and Spanish in their remarks. The Spanish bid was the last to take the stage , but at 12 minutes 40 seconds, Madrid made the longest presentation.

Bid CEO Victor Sanchez introduced the venues concept, stating that 80 percent of all sites already existed, with only six new venues to build.

Deputy mayor Patricia Lazaro spoke about the city's support for the Olympic project before sports minister Miguel Cardenal took the platform to say winning hosting rights was a national priority.

His comments come amid the financial troubles for the Spanish economy and ongoing questions over the Spanish government's continuing commitment to the bid.

"You can be assured that the Spanish government unreservedly supports the candidacy of Madrid to host the 2020 Games," he said.

Theresa Zabell, double Olympic gold medalist and CEO of Madrid's international relations, spoke about the power of sport and how the bid will look to use the Olympics to spur more sports participation among the younger generation.

Madrid 2020 president Alejandro Blanco tried to answer the question: why Madrid?

"We want to provide an opportunity to nine million young people from all nationalities to earn themselves a future, [it's] a new attitude we want to develop."

His comments were followed by a video with a flamenco soundtrack. The slogan "Passion for sport, passion for life" perhaps signals the themes that Madrid hopes to develop as the bid moves forward.

Written and reported in Moscow by Ed Hula and Mark Bisson.

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