Rome Selected for Italian 2020 Olympic Bid

(ATR) Rome is chosen over Venice to represent Italy in the race to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced Tuesday.

Rome beat off competition from Venice thanks to its better infrastructure, bigger size and experience in hosting major events, CONI said.

CONI's executive committee and national assembly met on Wednesday to ratify the recommendation presented by a 10-member commission on the best Italian city to host the Olympics, which is expected to attract three million spectators.

The commission put forward Rome, saying Venice did not meet the IOC’s minimum requirements. Venice was dropped before today's final vote, which became a formality, with the victory assigned to Rome by 68 votes to 1.

"We had to pick the most credible candidacy, the one poised to be successful. We put forward a city because we want to win," Giovanni Petrucci, chairman of the commission, told the assembly.

The panel included the Italian IOC members Mario Pescante, Franco Carraro, Ottavio Cinquanta, Francesco Ricci Bitti and Manuela Di Centa.

During the meeting, both bid’s dossiers were briefly analyzed to see how they matched up to the IOC’s requirements; Rome scored 9.2 points out of 10 but Venice could only reach 5.7. The IOC sets 6 points out of 10 as a minimum threshold to apply.

"Rome is bigger, it can capitalize on its experience in hosting big events," CONI’s secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi said.

The city's major event experience will benefit its 2020 bid. It hosted the 2009 UEFA Champions League final, the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the Jubilee, all events that gathered thousands of people and tested the capital’s infrastructure and logistics.

Pagnozzi also said that Rome has more infrastructure already in place, better road networks and better plans to host officials, athletes and media representatives.

Rome plans to use 42 sporting facilities in total, of which 33 already exist, five are to be built and four will be temporary. The competitions will take place in two dedicated areas, one in the north of the city-- around the Olympic Stadium -- and one in the southwest. A cleaned-up river Tiber, which crosses the whole city,will help connect the two poles with a sailing path of 12km, cycling tracks and pedestrian bridges.

The northern Olympic area will include the main Olympic Park, where all the major competitions will be held.

Up to 18,000 athletes will be hosted in the Olympic Village, while 5,000 media representatives can be accommodated in a nearby Media Village. The southern area, which will host competitions in 12 sports including fencing and judo, will be used by about a third of the athletes and will attract almost 20 percent of spectators.

Speaking later on Wednesday, Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said the bid was a "great chance for Italy."

"Ourproject is based on existing facilities and the costs are reduced to aminimum," he said in a interview with Italy's state TV.

City authorities estimate that the 2020 candidature phasewould cost them $41 million.

Venice’s candidacy was marred by concerns about the logistical difficulties to organize the Games in a lagoon city, built on an archipelago. However, Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region, dubbed CONI’s decision as "unsatisfactory".

"We are absolutely convinced that the Venice proposal has not been taken into fair consideration," he said in a statement.

"We are certain that Venice, the universal capital of beauty, is the best ambassador for our country in the world."

Zaia added that he was planning to look carefully into the documentation and CONI’s decision process, which, he said, was at the basis of a decision "that to call wrong is a euphemism".

Rome is preparing to spend a total of over $61 million, with $20 million for the so-called "Application Phase", and 41 million USD for the later Candidature Phase. It expects revenues from ticket sales, marketing and lotteries to reach $1.8 billion. The capital has suggested the Games be held from July 24 to August 9, 2020 with the Paralympics to follow Aug 19-30.

The IOC will officially open the 2020 bidding process next year, with the vote on the Olympic city coming at the 2013 Session in Buenos Aires in 2013.

Written by Marta Falconi.