Candidate Cities to host 2012 Olympic Games

[bertrand]

Don't mention the war!

Bertrand.

[Jazzmoose]

I may have mentioned it once or twice, but I think I got away with it...

[7/4]

Whew!

[sidewinder]

[p.s. If anyone wants to book a room for 2012, just 3 hours from London, prices are currently quite low! Bound to rise closer to the date.]

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Currently taking advance bookings for 2hrs from London with direct rail-link.

[JohnJ]

[p.s. If anyone wants to book a room for 2012, just 3 hours from London, prices are currently quite low! Bound to rise closer to the date.]

←

Currently taking advance bookings for 2hrs from London with direct rail-link.

←

30 minutes from London with direct rail link (not Tokyo).

Seriously though, now is the chance for darts and snooker to take their rightful place among Olympic sports.

[patricia]

Well, he's not from Madrid - he's from Barcelona!

Mike

←

Don't forget that "He's from Barcelona" was said apologetically, as if that explains whatever dumb thing he may be doing.

Loved Faulty Towers, particularly poor, downtrodden Manuel.

Edited July 7, 2005 by patricia

[EKE BBB]

................. .........................

[brownie]

London should not have won the 2012 Olympic Games bid over Madrid and Paris. Whoever is responsible for the blunder gets my blessing! Let London suffer through the Games!

From AFP:

VOTING ERROR DECISIVE IN LONDON'S OLYMPICS BID

Friday December 23

LONDON (AFP) - A senior member of the International Olympic Committee has claimed that London only won the bid for the 2012 Games because of a misplaced vote.

Israeli delegate Alex Gilady said the mix-up happened when a vote was cast for Paris instead of Madrid, which meant the Spanish capital lost out in the penultimate round

It is understood that the member who was alleged to have pressed the wrong button was Greek IOC delegate Lambis Nikolaou.

Gilady told BBC News 24 that had the vote gone to Madrid it would have finished level with Paris on 32 votes apiece.

The Israeli member of the IOC's London 2012 Co-ordination Commission suggested the Spaniards would have triumphed in a head-to-head with the French, and then would have seen off London in the final round.

Referring to the third round of the voting exchanges in Singapore in July, he said: "London was ahead, but Paris and Madrid were 33-31 in the votes.

"Let's say what we think now happened, that one member made a mistake and voted for Paris rather than Madrid.

"If he had voted for Madrid it would be 32-32. We would have to have had a vote-off.

"In the vote-off all the votes supporting London would go to Madrid, because the fear was that Paris had a big chance to win."

Gilady claimed that all the votes from an eliminated Paris would then have gone to support Madrid in the final.

"That is now what we think happened. This is what you call good fortune and good luck," he added.

A News 24 investigation appears to support Gilady's suggestion.

During the 2012 vote there was a long delay before the result of the third round was announced, which occurred because a Greek IOC member complained about his vote.

At the time it was assumed someone had failed to vote in time, but it is now clear that all members had voted.

In the final round of voting, London beat Paris 54-50 to win the right to host the 2012 Olympics.

[brownie]

Sorry, chaps!

From Reuters:

LONDON OLYMPICS COSTS JUMP 40PC

Thursday November 23, 2006

LONDON - The estimated cost of building sports facilities for the 2012 London Olympics has soared by about 40 per cent.

Sports Minister Tessa Jowell has blamed higher steel prices and transport costs for the rise to £3.3 billion ($9.48 billion) in the official estimate of the cost of building the Olympic Park, the main complex for the Games in east London.

That is £900 million higher than the estimate given in London's bid to host the Games. Some newspaper reports have said the games could cost as much as £10 billion.

The British media has voiced concern over the escalating cost of the Olympics after Jack Lemley resigned last month as chairman of the body responsible for creating infrastructure for the event.

Mr Lemley said the slow progress of the project and concerns over budgets were behind his decision.

Britain has a history of delays and cost overruns for major projects such as the Millennium Dome, regarded as a failure, and Wembley stadium.

Ms Jowell insisted the project was under control, saying International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge had told her it had "full confidence in the good progress of the works".

[sidewinder]

'They' (ie 'Red Ken' Livingstone and his Apparatchiks) are insisting that it will come in on time and under budget (the contingency is 60% apparently).

As long as the council tax payers of loadsamoney London and/or National Lottery players foot the eventual bill that's OK with me. It will be a good show.

Even if it is in 2013..

Edited November 23, 2006 by sidewinder

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

'They' (ie 'Red Ken' Livingstone and his Apparatchiks) are insisting that it will come in on time and under budget (the contingency is 60% apparently).

As long as the council tax payers of loadsamoney London and/or National Lottery players foot the eventual bill that's OK with me. It will be a good show.

Even if it is in 2013..

Nah - they'll just hold it in Cardiff.

MG

[brownie]

It's getting even worse

From AP:

FINAL BUDGET FOR LONDON OLYMPICS MORE THAN $18 BILLION

By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer

March 15, 2007

LONDON (AP) -- The overall cost of staging the 2012 London Olympics will be more than $18 billion, three times the original estimate.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell made the announcement in Parliament on Thursday after months of media reports of soaring costs. The costs of construction, regeneration, security and contingency funds have led to the soaring bill.

"The London Olympics will change Britain for the better, forever," she said. "These Olympic Games will create a legacy in one of the very poorest parts of the country, and we celebrate that."

The total includes $10.3 billion for construction of venues and the main Olympic park, including a $968 million contingency; $4.2 billion in a separate contingency; $1.1 billion for security; $1.6 million in value added tax; and $755 million for the Paralympics and local sports programs.

The original overall estimate during London's bid was about $5.9 billion, including both public and private funding. Long-term redevelopment of a 500-acre site in Stratford, east London, is at the main Olympic project.

Thursday's figures are separate from the Olympic organizing committee's budget of $3.8 billion for the operational costs of running the games.

Opposition lawmakers accused the government of financial mismanagement and "raiding" the national lottery to pay for the games, while others welcomed the announcement and said it finally put the uncertainty over the budget to rest.

"The government's announcement gives Londoners real certainty about the costs of preparing for the games," Mayor Ken Livingstone said, adding there would be no new council tax increases or public transport fare hikes to finance the games.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking before the figures were announced, defended the government's planning.

"There is a lot of alarmist stuff about this," he said. "We have an Olympic budget. At the end of the day, the thing to remember is that the money we are investing in the Olympics is money for the country."

[sidewinder]

With Tessa Jowell's hand controlling the tiller, you can be sure it will come in both on time and 'budget'.

(Insert appropriate "New" Labour spin/apparatchnik-speech here - dust off tested old material from 'The Dome' courtesy P. Mandellson)

Edited March 16, 2007 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

"Prime Minister Tony Blair, speaking before the figures were announced, defended the government's planning."

There was Planning?

[sidewinder]

And probably not entirely unrelated, the BBC announces:

"Blair exit timetable to be agreed

Two MPs have so far declared their intention to run for Mr Blair's job

Labour's ruling National Executive Committee is expected to agree a timetable next week for the leadership election to replace Tony Blair.

The BBC understands Labour officials have settled on a seven-week campaign for both the leader and deputy leader to run simultaneously.

It would be followed by the "coronation" of the new leader and deputy leader at a special conference."

Bring 'em on ! :rsmile:

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

With Tessa Jowell's hand controlling the tiller, you can be sure it will come in both on time and 'budget'.

(Insert appropriate "New" Labour spin/apparatchnik-speech here - dust off tested old material from 'The Dome' courtesy P. Mandellson)

You bet! And will it be completed in time? Ho ho! And let's all have a bet what the cost will eventually come to.

My guess: £29 bn

MG

[sidewinder]

With Tessa Jowell's hand controlling the tiller, you can be sure it will come in both on time and 'budget'.

(Insert appropriate "New" Labour spin/apparatchnik-speech here - dust off tested old material from 'The Dome' courtesy P. Mandellson)

You bet! And will it be completed in time? Ho ho! And let's all have a bet what the cost will eventually come to.

My guess: £29 bn

MG

Including or excluding the VAT?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

With Tessa Jowell's hand controlling the tiller, you can be sure it will come in both on time and 'budget'.

(Insert appropriate "New" Labour spin/apparatchnik-speech here - dust off tested old material from 'The Dome' courtesy P. Mandellson)

You bet! And will it be completed in time? Ho ho! And let's all have a bet what the cost will eventually come to.

My guess: £29 bn

MG

Including or excluding the VAT?

That's the funny thing, isn't it? Why did they include the VAT? Even if it was from the private sector's presumed share of the work, it's a benefit to the Treasury and reduces the Government cost.

MG

[ejp626]

That's the funny thing, isn't it? Why did they include the VAT? Even if it was from the private sector's presumed share of the work, it's a benefit to the Treasury and reduces the Government cost.

MG

Isn't Tessa blaming EU accounting rules for this? That's what I recall.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

That's the funny thing, isn't it? Why did they include the VAT? Even if it was from the private sector's presumed share of the work, it's a benefit to the Treasury and reduces the Government cost.

MG

Isn't Tessa blaming EU accounting rules for this? That's what I recall.

The old jokes are still the best.

MG

[ejp626]

So anyway, Chicago is in the running for 2016. I would rather they didn't get it, but I don't think it would be quite as disastrous as being in London in 2012. People are already pointing to the London Olympics as a famous warning case, i.e. how can you prevent the overruns that are happening in London. I'd say that's pretty impressive in a sick sort of way. Meanwhile a bunch of pompous windbags in England are (grimly) saying that no matter the final cost, it will be worth it in the end for regeneration, when of course you could just cut out the Olympics and throw a big street party and put the same amount of money into basic infrastructure. Pardon me for being less than impressed at English efficiency in the building trades, especially when there is a big deadline to make. You're already in the warning zone in terms of CBA (cost-benefit analysis) and I am sure the London Olympics are going to end up being a big turkey.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Pardon me for being less than impressed at English efficiency in the building trades,

You don't need no pardon mate!

MG

[king ubu]

I have no clue what this thread is about and where the olympics are being held when and all, but pulleeeaze, someone make them footballiotics not swarm over zurich next year! bomb the stadium, whatever it needs, I'm all for it! The germanorgy last year was already too much, I don't need it come any closer!

[king ubu]

oh, and don't tell me FIFA is less corrupt that the lumpics...

[sidewinder]

Pardon me for being less than impressed at English efficiency in the building trades,

You don't need no pardon mate!

MG

The London "builder" cowboys are all rubbing their hands in anticipation of the overtime at time-and-a-half +++ whilst they brew up their Nth pot of tea at the back of their white vans.