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Curzon
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Curzon

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August 25th, 2008

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Summer Olympics 2016

The 2008 Olympics have ended, and the race to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games is heating up. Earlier this year seven cities were shortlisted to host the games. In June, four candidate cities were chosen for the shortlist on when a complete “bid score” was issued to aid the decision-making process. The finalists: Tokyo, Madrid, Chicago, and Rio de Janeiro.

olympics-2016.jpg

Shortlist:
+ Tokyo — score 8.3
+ Madrid — score 8.1
+ Chicago —score 7.0
+ Rio de Janeiro — score 6.4

Elminated Candidates:
+ Baku — score 4.3
+ Doha — score 6.9
+ Prague — score 5.3
(Doha received a higher score than Rio de Janeiro but was eliminated because it wanted to hold the games in October, not August.)

Here’s a brief overview, with more details from Wikipedia here.

Chicago
The last summer Olympic games to be hosted by the Americas was the 1996 Games in Atlanta, and Chicago has an extensive public transit system, a wide range of venues, and a strong sports culture. Five new venues and eleven temporary venues will be built for the games. Chicago is reported to be the strongest contender in terms of infrastructure, public support, and money, but is still deemed to be behind Tokyo and Madrid in the technical aspect.

Madrid
Madrid benefits from its strong reputation from the 2012 bid as well as having 85% of venues already in place and experience in hosting Olympic qualifying events. One potential problem is that no continent has hosted successive Summer Games since 1952, when Helsinki followed London as host city, and London is hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics and Sochi, Russia is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro boasts natural beauty and recently hosted the XV Pan American Games. International Olympic Committee head Jacques Rogge expressed eagerness to have either South America or Africa host the Games, as neither have ever served as hosts. However, it has a weak bid because of poor infrastructure and high crime rate.

Tokyo
Tokyo is touting “the most compact and efficient Olympic Games ever” with a setting on the shores of Tokyo Bay, refurbishing a run-down industrial area and reclaiming land from the bay, and stressing its “green” approach to plans. Tokyo boasts the highest technical score and has great infrastructure, but has the weakest public support of all candidates. Also, like Madrid, its bid is weakened by the recent regional hosting by Beijing.

Will Tokyo win because of its high score? Chicago because it’s “America’s turn”? Madrid because of its existing infrastructure? Or Rio de Janeiro because of Affirmative Action? Let us hear your opinion and where you want the 2016 Olympics in the comments.

Comments to this entry

Aceface
August 25, 2008
8:55 am
Being former Tokyoite,all I can say is nobody wants olympic except Ishihara Shintaro.....
Curzon
August 25, 2008
9:19 am
Actually Ace, a recent survey showed that current local support for the Olympics is up to 70%, from 60% in February.
Aceface
August 25, 2008
1:45 pm
Good grief.That's because people are watching olympic games in the past weeks.From financial viewpoint,Olympic is definitly a white elephant to metropolitan government.
Ken
August 25, 2008
4:02 pm
RIO! '016. simply because the girls there are-face it, I'm shallow-HOT, plus what's NOT to like about bikini waxing? (unless your the one having it done to ya'...ouch)
mihnea
August 25, 2008
4:33 pm
i'm looking forward to Bucharest 3024.
Lexington Green
August 25, 2008
4:35 pm
As someone who lives just outside Chicago, and works downtown, I am hoping that this worthless and pointless expense lands somewhere else.
TDL
August 25, 2008
5:29 pm
I just want to echo Lexington's hope! If it comes here, I'm moving to NYC! His Majest... I mean His Honor, has already spent & taxed & sucked enough $ out Chicagoans.

Regards,
TDL
Eddie
August 25, 2008
9:46 pm
Kabul 2016?!

Rio would be the best bet. Let the Brazilians waste their sugarcane ethanol profits on it rather than them being siphoned away by corrupt elites.
tomojiro
August 26, 2008
1:13 am
People around me,at least here in Tokyo, all are against the idea of an Olympic game in Tokyo. Me too.
Michael
August 26, 2008
1:49 am
Umm . . . How is reclaiming land from Tokyo Bay supposed to be environmentally friendly? Floating facilities, yes, but digging up a bunch of silt and dumping it into shallow water where other creatures live? What am I missing?
Dave Schuler
August 26, 2008
11:41 pm
As one who lives in the city of Chicago, I fervently hope that this cup passes from us. Chicago is unquestionably a great place to host the games and it would certainly would be Richie Daley's crowning achievement as mayor but I can't say I'm looking forward to it.
Aceface
August 27, 2008
1:30 am
What would be the impact to Chicago,if Obama becomes the next president?
Elambend
August 28, 2008
2:52 am
Aceface,
Obama moved the Dems election headquarters from Washington to Chicago (not a normal move). His election will direct sugar Chicago way AND given his international popularity probably help the Olympic bid.
I live in downtown Chi and although at first I was enthralled with the idea of getting the Olympics, I've turned against it. It would be a huge expense for a city, county, and state that cannot control their budget. The 10.5% sales tax here is a killer. I don't need more things to be paid for.
feeblemind
August 28, 2008
5:55 pm
That seems to be the way it is with the Olympics. Huge ego trip for the personalities hosting/organizing with possible personal profit on the side while the peasants pick up the tab.
Joe Jones
August 28, 2008
8:07 pm
Objectively, my vote is for Rio, which could probably use the economic effects and international visibility more than the other three cities.

Tokyo is second--just because their plan is really cool.
votetheday.com
September 9, 2008
9:15 pm
As odds show, that Chicago should win, public opinion is not so clear - many people wants is to be Rio - http://www.votetheday.com/polls/-olympic-host-76/
I think others take part in the race just for the sake of doing it - there are no chances for them. Well, except maybe Tokyo - the Japans could have secret winning card in the form of some original idea...