On the Scene in Madrid - Mayor Confident as IOC Reaction Awaits

(ATR) Mayor Ana Botella says Madrid 2020 is "very satisfied" at the close of its four-day inspection from the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2020 Olympics.

Botella spoke to Around the Rings and other members of the international press just hours ahead of the Thursday press conference at which commission chair Craig Reedie is expected to give the IOC’s version of events.

"The members of the IOC are very professional," Botella said.

"We have had a very good working atmosphere, and we are very satisfied with how it has gone."

The mayor has emerged as the main personality of the Madrid bid with her appearances in the daily press conferences during the week.

‘’I have stayed with the inspection throughout the week because at the moment it’s the most important project we have in Madrid," she said.

"We’ve been working 15 years on this, and we have support of everybody in Spain – the three administrations, the president of the government who was here on Monday and our honorary president Prince Felipe – so we are all working together.

When questioned why Madrid wants to host the Olympics, Botella was clear that a 2020 Games would have positive effects on the Spanish economic crisis.

‘’We have a clear why, it’s a way to get out of crisis. We want to give a common hope to all Spaniards, and good news for the old continent," she told reporters.

"In the U.K. the Games increased by one percent the GDP, but it’s the intangibles that are difficult to estimate. Tourism is a priority for us, and Madrid has already benefited from being a bid city. We now get eight million visitors a year. It makes up nine percent of GDP in the city," she cited, "so if we can continue to improve, that will benefit us.

"When you go abroad, people still say they know Barcelona more than Madrid. That is the effect of 1992 still. We want that for Madrid," she added.

Botella also said she believes Madrid citizens are benefiting already from an Olympic legacy.

‘’The IOC can have no problems with our legacy. We already have a fantastic public transport, a new airport that makes us a European hub, we’ve increased our green areas, have great sporting infrastructures and a high speed train connecting to the other venues. We’re very demanding with environmental levels and the citizens of Madrid are enjoying the use of these already."

Botella did not work on past Madrid bids despite being in local politics with the city during the last nine years, but she is clearly going to be a key force going forward from now until decision day in Buenos Aires on Sept. 7.

Written and reported in Madrid by Dermot Ledwithand Ed Hula

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