On the Scene -- IOC Team Wraps Up Madrid Visit

Nawal El Moutawakel praised the “concept and the vision” of Madrid’s 2016 Olympic bid, applauding the large amount of "excellent" existing venues. But the chairwoman of the IOC Evaluation Commission declined to comment on whether the bid plan is stronger than the Spanish capital’s 2012 candidacy. She also led the IOC commission that inspected those bids.

Speaking at the wrap-up press conference of the commission's Madrid visit, she said the positive points in favor of the Spanish capital were “too numerous to list," but on several occasions, the IOC member for Morocco noted that over 70 percent of venues and infrastructure were already in place.

“Of course this is added value for the bid of 2016. We have seen some magnificent venues and very good infrastructure to be used for the Games,” said El Moutawakel during the 30-minute news conference that concluded the IOC commission’s four-day inspection.

The visit included three days of briefings and a venue tour of proposed sites in the bid plan.

Refusing to make comparisons between the 2016 bid and the city’s pitch to the IOC for 2012, she said only that Madrid had strengthened its venue plan with the addition of several facilities including the Magic Box tennis venue that was boosting the city’s reputation for attracting and staging international sports events.

“We are here for 2016 now… I would not like to go further,” she said.

There was nothing unusual about her use of the word impressed to describe what Madrid could offer to the Olympics; the description has become her catchphrase in appraising each of Madrid’s bid rivals – Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo - during the commission’s four-city inspection tour over the past six weeks.

Saying the IOC delegation was leaving Madrid with a “very good impression” of the city, El Moutawakel noted as another major plus point the support at all levels of government, the royal family and the country’s Olympic and Paralympic movements. She also acknowledged the support of Madrid citizens for the bid. On Thursday, bid leaders revealed the results of an independent IOC poll; it shows 85 percent of city people back the campaign.

“We are pleased to be here in the beautiful city of Madrid where sports play such a huge part in people’s lives,” she said in her opening comments at a briefing to around 120 journalists.

A temporary, air-conditioned media room next to Hotel Villa Magna doubled as press conference venue throughout the week.

Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli also noted the country’s enthusiasm for sport: “You don’t see many countries in the world with four sports newspapers. It shows people are very much supporting sport.”

El Moutawakel also remarked on the sunny conditions the IOC commission experienced during its entire visit, saying “the weather played a good role.” Over the four days, temperatures hovered around 27 degrees (80.6 F). Just six weeks ago, the IOC team had to contend with a snow flurry on a venue tour of Chicago, although visits to Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro were also characterized by warm, dry weather.

Asked how important Madrid’s pitch was as a recession-friendly Olympics, Felli insisted the Games plans for all four bid cities could weather the economic storm and boost their respective economies with the development of new infrastructure.

El Moutawakel confirmed that Madrid was capable of staging the Games like its rivals in the 2016 race, following scrutiny of all 17 bid book themes this week.

With the IOC vote in Copenhagen just five months away, she said: “The [Madrid] team has to work very hard. The distance separating us from Oct. 2 is maybe the hardest and longest path and I wish them the best of luck.”

After taking care of some important government business in Morocco, the country’s minister of youth and sport returned to Madrid Thursday night to chair the commission’s final day of meetings.

On the final day of its stay, the IOC commission wrapped up its business by examining the last four of the bid book themes: security; media operations; medical services and doping control and technology. The IOC panel was without IOC member from Great Britain Craig Reedie and Goran Petersson, president of the International Sailing Federation, who left to attend to other sports business. Reedie is involved in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s meetings in Montreal this weekend.

Bid Committee Appraisal

Madrid 2016 leaders expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the IOC’s visit and insisted they would work even harder in the coming months to secure the Games.

Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, a prominent figure for the bid all week, gave an impassioned 10-minute address to kick off the bid’s press conference. He said the committee and all 2016 Olympic stakeholders had made significant contributions. The bid used 1,000 people during the commission’s visit, 85 percent of whom were volunteers; 50 speakers presented to the IOC.

But bid chiefs acknowledged the work lying ahead, evident in the grilling by IOC evaluators. Some 300 questions came from the IOC group in response to bid presentations this week.

“We are not going to let you down, we are going to go on so that this shared dream becomes reality,” he told reporters. “We have had a goal this week to show that the contents of our candidacy dossier are true to life. I think we have achieved that goal.”

What was most striking at the Madrid news conference was the lack of any mention of putting athletes center stage in the 2016 Games planning, a message London 2012 organizers were careful to prioritize in their bid phase. The focus on athletes has also figured highly in the first three-and-a-half years of preparations.

Mercedes Coghen, CEO of Madrid 2016, defended the lack of mention in an interview with Around the Rings following the press conference.

“We talked about athletes every day we meet with the IOC,” she said.

“I’m an athlete and I know what the Games are. What we have prepared for the athletes can be the best ever.

“We cannot think of an Olympic Games without the athletes. That is obvious. Athletes are everywhere in our bid,” she said.

IOC Dines with Royal Family

King Juan Carlos promised his full support for the Games during a luncheon for members of the IOC Evaluation Commission at the Royal Palace Friday.

The event was the single hospitality event allowed under IOC rules for a bid committee to organize during the commission visit.

About 50 guests attended the lunch, including former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and sports figures such as tennis champion Rafael Nadal, cyclist Miguel Indurain and Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez.

Juan Carlos is an Olympian from the 1972 Games in sailing and his sister Pilar served as an IOC member while she held the presidency of FEI, the International Equestrian Federation.

Madrid organizers confirm that the king will travel to Copenhagen in October to campaign for the Madrid bid at the IOC Session where the vote for 2016 will be cast.

With reporting from Mark Bisson and Ed Hula.For general comments or questions, click here