Norway Outlines Demands for Olympics
The two major parties have informed the Oslo 2022 bid committee of the government’s demands for an Olympics.
According to a report in the Norwegian website News in English, the daily Aftenposten says the sports spokesperson for the two major parties in the parliament sent the letter to the bid committee on Friday.
"It is in Norway’s interests to contribute towards influencing the future organization of the world’s largest sports event," the letter from Svein Harberg and Ib Thomsen read.
"It is critical that democratic countries that respect human rights still want to arrange the Olympic and Paralympic games."
The list of demands includes: a guarantee that "inclusion, equality, and respect for human rights would be the foundation" of an Oslo 2022 Games, a guarantee of workers’ rights and that the IOC, not the organizers, pay for the official Olympic hotel.
Application files for the bid cities - Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine and Oslo - are due to the IOC on March 14.
No Smog Issues for Beijing 2022
Beijing’s vice mayor says the city’s infamous smog won’t be a factor in the 2022 Olympic campaign.
Li Shixiang said at the National’s People Congress that the city is taking steps to improve environmentalconditions, according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Xinhua reports that Li said the 2008 Beijing Olympics "will benefit" the city for its long-term planning.
The proposed regulations to reduce pollution include cutting Beijing’s coal consumption in half by 2017 and controls on industrial pollution.
Media reports say that smog in Beijing has become "oppressive" recently. Photos show that visibility in Beijing has often been reduced to zero as a result of the pollution.
Lapasset Won’t Lead French Bid
Bernard Lapasset said he will not lead the French bid for a 2024 Olympics.
Lapasset, chairman of the International Rugby Board, is currently leading the French Olympic Committee’s task force investigating a bid.
He told French sport newspaper L’Equipe on Tuesday, "It will not be my job. It will not be me."
He said he would remain on board until Sept. 2015 at the latest. That’s when a decision will be made whether to bid.
Lapasset and other French sport, Olympic, and government leaders made a trip to London last weekend to see how they successfully hosted the Games.
Written by Ed Hula III
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