Bidding for 2020 -- Turkish Government Pushes Bid; Rome Files First Papers; Madrid Next

Turkish President Prepares to Launch 2020 Olympic Bid

Turkey's president seems set to announce that Istanbul will bid for the 2020 Olympics. But Around the Rings understands the country's National Olympic Committee may not be fully supportive of the move after four failed attempts for the Games.

A Turkish Olympic Committee official told ATR that Turkish President Abdullah Gul will wait until after next week's European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon before making an announcement on a possible 2020 Olympic bid.

TOC president and IOC member Urgur Erdener indicated to ATR two weeks ago that there would "probably" be a bid from Istanbul.

But it has emerged that the TOC may not be completely behind the government's plans to enter a bid against such a strong field. Madrid, Rome and Tokyo have so far announced their intentions to contest the race to land the 2020 Games. Doha may also bid.

Turkey's new sports minister Suat Kilic is understood to be the driving force behind a 2020 bid.

Istanbul lost out in bids for the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics before sitting out the 2016 race.

The 11th edition of the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival starts in Trabzon on Sunday and wraps up July 29. Around 4,000 young athletes from the 49 NOCs of Europe are participating in the event.

RomeFiles First Files with IOC

Rome 2020 says it has filed pledges to abide by the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The IOC requires prospective 2020 bidders to file these assurances by the end of July, as well as any request to stage the Games outside the regular window of mid-July to the end of August. Rome submitted no such request.

Madrid Bid Wins NOC Support

Hours after the mayor of Madrid declared his city would make a third consecutive bid for the Olympics, the Spanish Olympic Committee executive board ratified the 2020 bid as well.

"This is the time for Madrid," said NOC President Alejandro Blanco after the meeting Wednesday in Madrid.

He indicated that the same papers filed by Rome today would soon be presented to the IOC. Blanco also said that handball player David Barrufet will be the candidate from Spain for election to the IOC Athletes Commission. The election at the London Olympics by the athletes at the Games will choose four individuals to serve an eight-year term on the IOC.

The IOC membership already includes three from Spain.

Reported by Mark Bissonand Ed Hula.