Tokyo in 2020, the choice of economic wisdom
Published on Sunday, September 8, 2013
9:24 AM //
Entertainment
Olympic Committee delegates swept Saturday night argument in favor of economic stability, weaknesses Madrid and Istanbul.
These Games are held in Asia's business potential candidacy Paris in 2024, under the rule of alternation between continents.
It is as much choice in Tokyo that the magnitude of his victory that surprised: 60 votes against 36 in Istanbul in the second round, a final score (1). A few months ago, even a few days, the race to host the 2020 Games seemed a foregone by ... Istanbul. Madrid, weighed down by economic, very violent on the other side of the Pyrenees crisis seemed disqualified.Just as Tokyo, severely handicapped by the management of the nuclear crisis (see next page).
In contrast, the metropolis of the Bosphorus seemed dressed in finery: spectacular economic growth, perseverance with a fifth consecutive nomination ... and political stability. This last argument, essential for the sports potentates who fear more than anything the emergence of an unexpected disorder in competitions, was shattered in June with demonstrations against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
THE DECISIVE ADVANTAGE IN FAVOR OF TOKYO LIES IN ITS GEOGRAPHY
Economic concerns were also finished by catching Istanbul, which nevertheless had the largest budget of the three candidates, with most of the infrastructure, airports, stadiums, state project. For the meantime, there was the Pharaonic excesses of Sochi for the 2014 Winter Games and the financial worries announced for Rio de Janeiro 2016.
The voice of economic wisdom has dismissed Istanbul and Madrid, so remained in contention reasonable Tokyo, reassuring budget estimate since much of the infrastructure already exists. But the decisive asset for the representative of Asia is its geography. "The Olympic flame will pass through the world," said the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the French inventor of the Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896. The formula still resonated Saturday night in Buenos Aires, where there was a general meeting of the IOC.
The unwritten alternating between continents rule, who chairs year after year for the Olympics since the 1956, the first Games held in the eastern part of the world in Melbourne, Australia, is applied. Previously, from 1896 to 1936, the five-ringed flag that had flown over Europe, two American exceptions, St. Louis in 1904 and Los Angeles in 1932.
THE WAY IS CLEAR FOR PARIS 2024
Twelve years after Asia (Beijing 2008), eight after Europe (London 2012) and four after America (Rio 2016), here is the Olympic flame back to the Levant in 2020. Enough to supply all the hopes of Paris, which can legitimately expect the coup defending European colors in 2024 or 2028.President Francois Hollande, visiting London in 2012 to salute the tricolor delegation had also, as a joke, started the machine by its desire to see the flame in Paris "during his lifetime." A formula which authorized the Minister of Sports Valerie Fourneyron him to follow suit. "This is a great project, we'll see what is decided for 2020. "
Now we have seen. The way is clear for Paris in 2024, a slight difference, far from being trivial. The residents of the capital in March 2014 will elect a new mayor who will naturally say. Anyway, taught by recent disappointments of Paris, defeated candidate for 2012 and received by the snub Annecy in 2011 when voting for the 2018 Winter Games (the capital of the Haute-Savoie had received only seven votes), the French sports officials are careful not to reveal their batteries. "It would be the best way to play against us," said Bernard Lapasset, which runs from April 2013 the French Committee of international sport, a new structure to attract large events.
France has another two years to consider whether an application for 2024 (applications must be made in 2015) and six position for 2028. A hypothesis may be wiser, since serious competitors are already in the running for 2024. Washington, with its financial standing, could very well be of interest to IOC members - in addition to the United States, which are the temple of the sports business, has not hosted the Games since 1996 (Atlanta). Even more formidable, the South African Durban, advancing with a powerful argument: if Europe, America, Asia and even Oceania (1956 and 2000) have experienced the adventure, the Africa is the only continent orphan of Olympism. This will not last forever.
