IOC Press Release

Paris (FRA), New York (USA), Moscow (RUS), London (GBR), and Madrid (ESP) were today accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board in Lausanne as Candidate Cities to host the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012. The decision was made following discussions that led to a unanimous consensus. The cities were accepted from a total of nine Applicant Cities, which also included Leipzig (GER), Istanbul (TUR), Havana (CUB), and Rio de Janeiro (BRA).

The Candidate Cities were selected after a study of their application submitted earlier this year on    15 January. The study was made by a working group comprising Olympic Games experts who made a technical assessment of each Applicant City's ability to stage successful Olympic Games in 2012. The technical assessment was based on 25 questions which included the areas of Government Support and Public Opinion, General Infrastructure, Sports Venues, Olympic Village, Environmental Conditions and Impact, Accommodation, Transport, Security, Experience from Past Sports Events, Overall Project and Legacy. The full report made by the working group is available on the IOC website, www.olympic.org.

The five Candidate Cities now have until 15 November 2004 to submit their Candidature File to the IOC. Candidate Cities will benefit from a detailed Observer Programme throughout the Games in Athens. The Candidature Files will be analysed in detail by an IOC Evaluation Commission, which will also visit the Candidate Cities, before issuing a report one month prior to the election. The final decision on the host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad will be made by the full IOC membership during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore in July 2005.

Please note: the Candidature Procedure and Questionnaire, which outlines the procedures, rules and deadlines to be respected until the election of the host city, as well as the in-depth questionnaire which Candidate Cities must respond to in their Candidature File, are also available on the IOC website, www.olympic.org.