On the Scene - Madrid 2020 Plots "Evolution" from Failed Bids at Logo Unveiling

(ATR) Spanish IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr says Madrid 2020's bid marks an "evolution" from the city's last two failed attempts to secure the Olympics.

"It's a significant evolution from previous bids," he told a group of reporters at the launch of the bid's logo and website in the Spanish capital Monday.

"Many of the things we promised for 2012 and 2016 that we would build are already in place. The Olympic stadium is already under construction regardless of the Games, so we kept those promises," he said.

At a launch event attended by around 400 guests including Spain's three other IOC members, NOC and sports federation leaders and around 40 athletes, bid chiefs emphasized that Madrid had 80 percent of venues completed.

The Olympic stadium is expected to be finished by the summer in time for Atletico Madrid to kick off the season at their new home ground. Land for the proposed Olympic Village has been secured by the city since its failed 2012 bid campaign.

Bid leaders also underscored the backing from the regional and national governments and overwhelming public support for the Olympic campaign.

New opinion poll figures presented at the news conference showed that Madrid 2020 is backed by 75 percent of the city's population and has the backing of 84 percent of the national population.

Asked how different Madrid's approach would be in this bidding contest against the backdrop of the current economic crisis, Samaranch said: "The bidding itself will be efficient and done on a very reasonable budget.

"But then if awarded the Games, Madrid has most of the infrastructure done, so for us, for Spain, Madrid and the Olympics this is an opportunity of using the Games and Olympic ideals to give renewed energy to our society without the burden of having to go through the very heavy investment programs that have already been done in Madrid."

Samaranch joined a host of dignatories at the launch of the logo, a design which incorporates one of Madrid's best known landmarks: the Puerta de Alcalá or Alcala Gate.

Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco, who is leading the bid, and CEO Víctor Sánchez presented the Madrid 2020 concept. Miguel Cardenal, Spain's secretary of state for sport, also spoke to offer the Cabinet's full support for the bid.

He said the Council of Ministers had on Friday made an "easy" decision to back the country's third consecutive Olympic bid. "I think we all feel the same today, that Madrid deserves it," he said. "We have seen the presentation of the team, logo and website and I think they demonstrate that belief."

Blanco sounded a more cautionary note ahead of the IOC's Feb. 15 deadline for applicant files for the six 2020 bid cities. Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Rome and Tokyo are also vying to land the summer Games after Rio de Janeiro.

"Great projects and great challenges are achieved by competing and fighting hard," he said at the press conference.

"We have to work hard to make these dreams a reality. Before we could undertake this project we came up with a major question: why Madrid."

Blanco gave a list of reasons why Madrid was bidding for its fourth summer Olympics - it also lost out in 1972 - saying the city's third consecutive bid "demonstrates our full desire and commitment to bringing the Olympic Games here".

Acknowledging Spain's troubled economy, he said the bid would present to the IOC "a very well-balanced, sustainable and achievable project".

Madrid mayor Ana Botella underlined the city's preparedness to host the Games, citing new sports facilities that have been built since the 2012 Olympic bid and Spain's wealth of sporting experience since 1988, which includes staging over 102 world championships.

"We are perfectly capable of hosting the best Games ever," she said, before praising the bid team's vision.

"Together we will face these exciting challenges and achieve our objectives to bring the Olympic Games to Madrid in 2020."

Among the sports personalities and olympians at the launch event were Fermin Cacho, gold medalist in the 1500m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and silver medalist at Atlanta '96 four years later, Spanish tennis greats Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and her brother Emilio and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and the club's director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno.

Representatives from a number of potential sponsors including banks Bankia, BBVA and Banesto as well as Orange, Coca-Cola, Iberia and Globalia were present.

Bid CEO Sanchez later told ATR that sponsorship for the bid would not be a problem, despite the country's difficult economic climate.

"We are discussing with them their degree of involvement. We have several different levels of investment for sponsors," he said.

He added: "We are truly confident in the support of sponsors."

Reported in Madrid by Mark Bisson

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