Lausanne (Switzerland), July 16: Nine cities have submitted their bids to host the 2012 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said today. Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris and Rio de Janeiro, lodged their bids with the IOC here by the deadline of midnight yesterday, the IOC said in a statement.
The IOC will make their choice in Singapore on July 6, 2005. "We are delighted to field such a long list of prestigious cities," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.
"I believe this reflects the strong image of the Olympic Games and the IOC's policy of reinvesting revenues in the staging of the games and the care for a strong urban legacy," he added.
The next hurdle for the bidding cities is a detailed questionnaire, which must be submitted by January 15 next year. The IOC's executive board is meant to endorse candidate cities in May 2004, opening the way for a full-blooded assessment, including visits by an evaluation commission.
"No city will become a candidate until it is selected as such by the IOC executive board in May 2004," the statement said. Bureau Report