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I've been meaning to mention my support for the Telegraph campaign for London to bid for the 2012 Olympics. London has hosted the Olympics before, in 1948. (I remember because, when I cleared my parents' house after my father died, I came across a programme. Being me, I've since lost it.) It would be nice if another city had the opportunity, but the IOC have made clear that they will only consider the capital.
I certainly feel that bidding for the Games would boost grass-roots sport. I'd prefer another venue in the UK, and I've never understood why the government haven't sought to persuade the IOC, but that's not sufficient reason to give up just yet. One argument against a UK bid is that there is a good chance that we would treat the venue with the same respect that Atlanta treated theirs in 1996. (They bulldozed the track the morning after the closing ceremony.) A bid would only be serious, and only be worth making, if it meant the building of 50m pools around the country, the maintenance of running tracks, and the development of other facilities. The bid could and should be the start of a new beginning for sports centres in this country. The projected cost of £2.5 billion would buy a lot of hospital equipment, but if that is set against the regeneration of the health of the nation, it 's worth it.
The BBC provide a seemingly balanced evaluation of the factors, along with a largely anti-London discussion.
Last updated 26 December 2005
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Dave, I can do no better than refer you to today's Daily Telegraph - and Paul Hayward's article "There's no silver medal in this race". This journalist is brilliant!
Posted by Mick -AT-REMOVE_THIS- 15/1/2003 4:23 pm GMT