Out in Athens at the SportAccord International Sports Convention, the IOC have just announced the four candidate cities for the 2016 Olympic Games. Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro are all still in the running; Doha, Azerbaijan's Baku and the Czech capital Prague fell at the first hurdle.
The Candidate Cities must now compile an in-depth file of their Olympic project and submit themselves to a visit by the IOC's Evaluation Commission. The election of the Host City of the 2016 Games will take place on 2 October 2009 at the IOC Session in Copenhagen.
I remember all too well the elation of having made it through to the next stage – and the immediate hard work that all four cities will have to put in to their Candidate files, which, if they’re successful, will form the essence of their Olympic Games. They are all worthy candidates, each capable of offering something special to the Games mix. May the best city win!
My Olympics
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