Following yesterday's announcement from the IOC that
Toronto, Beijing, Istanbul, Osaka and Paris are the
candidate cities to host the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, the
N.Y. TIMES' Christopher Clarey writes that Beijing, which
"lost by only 2 votes" to Sydney in the bidding for the 2000
Games, "is considered the early favorite." But China's
"human rights record" was "considered a big factor" in its
loss to Australia in '93 and "is again expected to be a
major campaign issue" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/29). In Toronto, Immen
& Keating assess Toronto's "daunting race" to host the
Games. Some feel Istanbul and Paris "may be considered too
near" to 2004 Games host Athens, while both Beijing and
Osaka "may lose points for being half a day's time zone away
from the prime" North American TV market (Toronto GLOBE &
MAIL, 8/29). Also in Toronto, Jim Byers writes that Paris
could be a dark horse: "Paris is hardly the international
unknown that Atlanta was, but it has also let its rivals
grab most of the attention." One IOC "observer," on Paris'
bid: "They've executed a great strategy. Paris desperately
wants Beijing to be the favourite for now. So do Osaka and
Toronto" (TORONTO STAR, 8/29). In Toronto, Zen Ruryk writes
that even though Beijing is "widely considered Toronto's
main competition," TO-Bid CEO John Bitove said that "it's a
mistake to count out Paris." Results from the data the IOC
used to evaluate candidates showed that Toronto "placed
first" in four of the ten categories: governmental support,
existing sports infrastructure, environmental plans and
security. Paris was first in transportation, hosting prior
events and overall concept, while Beijing was first in
Olympic Village concept and Osaka placed first for general
existing infrastructure. Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala
Lampur and Seville were eliminated yesterday. The IOC will
select the 2008 city next July (TORONTO SUN, 8/29). Also in
Toronto, Byers writes that although the city received "high
marks" in "several areas," it "raised concerns about TO-
Bid's plans for an Olympic village on the Toronto port lands
-- the centrepiece" of the bid (TORONTO STAR, 8/29).
Beijing "was the only one of the five finalists that didn't
score well" in telecommunications (TORONTO STAR, 8/29).
BEEN AROUND THE WORLD: Osaka municipal government
officials "reacted" to the announcement "by calling on the
city to make its campaign more conspicuous" (YOMIURI
SHIMBUN, 8/29). China's communist leadership "is putting
enormous resources behind winning the 2008 bid, and has
already started a massive clean-up of polluting factories to
clear the smoggy skies of Beijing" (CHINA DAILY, 8/29).
EFFECT ON 2012: In DC, Amy Shipley writes that
Toronto's "inclusion in the final five may not bode well"
for the Baltimore-DC dual bid for the 2012 Games. Should
Toronto win the 2008 Games, the USOC "likely would not put
forth a candidate city for the 2012 Olympics -- choosing
instead to wait until 2016" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/29).
