The race to become the next IOC president "came into sharp focus Thursday with the contenders taking their case directly to the voters," according to the AP. The candidates each made 15-minute presentations to the general assembly, "the first time such campaign speeches have been held in an IOC presidential race." With more than 80 IOC members in the hall, Thursday's presentations "were made behind closed doors and no questions were allowed." When it was over, the "most visibly emotional candidate was Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico, whose eyes welled up as he talked about the experience." Carrion: "I said everything that was in my heart. This was a chat with my colleagues. It was extremely emotional, extremely moving for me." Also speaking were IOC VPs Thomas Bach, of Germany, and Ng Ser Miang, of Singapore, exec board members Sergei Bubka, of Ukraine, and C.K. Wu, of Taiwan, and former board member Denis Oswald, of Switzerland (AP, 7/4). R-Sport reported the soaring costs of hosting the Olympics "could be in for a trim" if Bubka is elected president. Bubka said the IOC should "continue to look for balance in expenditure on hosting the Olympic Games." Bubka added, "Clear planning, correct management of the legacy left over from the Games, using existing facilities, and also the experience organizers have received -- those are very important factors in the success of our job" (R-SPORT, 7/5).
MADRID MOMENTUM: The AFP reported Madrid left Lausanne "having convinced many they can be entrusted with the 2020 Summer Games." Their technical presentation to the IOC members -- who will vote on the host city in Buenos Aires on Sept. 7 -- "received universal praise." Neither Istanbul, running their most impressive bid after four previous failures, nor Tokyo, the only one of the three to have previously hosted the Games in '64, "performed disastrously and remain in contention but it was Madrid that has the momentum" (AFP, 7/5).
