On the Scene in Madrid - Blanco Stresses Legacy, Lessons Learned

(ATR) President Alejandro Blanco tells Around the Rings the bid from Madrid is "very happy so far" with the visit of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2020 Olympics.

Blanco, who also heads the Spanish Olympic Committee, took time Wednesday morning to speak to a small group of international journalists, including ATR, and to give his impressions heading into day three of the inspection.

"We are very happy so far, we have a great project. Beforehand you always worry a little about the standard, so it’s good to have feedback from the Evaluation Commission. They are asking lots of questions, which is good. The more they ask, the better for the bid. It’s good to know experts’ opinion to know where you are with the bid.

"We have adapted our bid with regard to the Spanish economy using a SMART concept. We believe the compactness of our project is our strength," he said.

Blanco was keen to present the legacy a Madrid Games would leave for Spain after 2020.

"Spain is probably at the top of the world at the moment for sporting media impact. We have some top performers, and on an organizational level we host a lot of top sporting events. What more is there for Spain to do? We think we can go further.

"We don’t just want to improve sporting results. We want to leave a great legacy for sport in our country. We want sport to be an active part of daily life for children, so that it is not just seen as a physical activity but that actually changes Spanish society.

"A great legacy is not only about sporting results and organizing more events. It is about health, education, culture, social work. Sport is about healthy living, learning respect and hard work more than winning another 10 medals. Results may go up and down, but sport is always constant."

Blanco also had words about last year’s Games in London.

"London was a model to imitate. Our challenge is for Spain to do it better. For London, I’d give a 10 out of 10, but I want us to do it even better," he said.

Questioned about what Madrid has taken away from its three unsuccessful bids, he said the capital has learned a lot.

"We have learned to be realistic. You can have a good product, and we have a great bid, but the cities you compete with have the same. Also, we’ve learned to work better with the IOC, but in the end it comes down to a vote," he admitted.

"This time we have Ana Botella as Madrid mayor. She is a very strong personality, very passionate, dedicated and hard working, and she is dedicating lots of time to this."

The bid leader Blanco attempted to leave the gathered press with a powerful message about Madrid’s bid.

"We want a to present a bid that is a new way to see sport, that moves a country, more than just the six or seven weeks of the two events," he said.

"In the survey we carried out, in difficult times for Spain, 90 percent of our young people under 35 want the Games. This project is their project. The legacy has to be this, and we have to communicate that to everybody."

Written and reported in Madrid by Dermot Ledwithand Ed Hula

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