2020 Olympic Games Bid Thread

[walei]

Now that the 2018 Winter Olympics Host has been awarded to PyeongChang, the IOC has kicked off the 2020 bid process. By the Sept 1st deadline, here are you application cities:

Baku, Azerbaijan
Doha, Qatar
Istanbul, Turkey
Madrid, Spain
Rome, Italy
Tokyo, Japan

The IOC will short list the application cities next year down into the candidate phase, where a evaluation committee will visit each city as the IOC voting members are forbidden to do so. The final election will be on September 7, 2013 in Buenos Aires.

Personally, I think it is between Rome and Istanbul.

[Domshabfan]

Now that the 2018 Winter Olympics Host has been awarded to PyeongChang, the IOC has kicked off the 2020 bid process. By the Sept 1st deadline, here are you application cities:

Baku, Azerbaijan
Doha, Qatar
Istanbul, Turkey
Madrid, Spain
Rome, Italy
Tokyo, Japan

The IOC will short list the application cities next year down into the candidate phase, where a evaluation committee will visit each city as the IOC voting members are forbidden to do so. The final election will be on September 7, 2013 in Buenos Aires.

Personally, I think it is between Rome and Istanbul.

I hope it is not Rome and Madrid, considering the economic conditions in those countries. I am not sure of both Baku and Doha, they surely have oil money and can buy athletes from around the world, but i hope it is not them as well. So i would love it to be either Tokyo or lesser extent Istanbul.

[Buzz]

Good heavens what a list... I will be routing for Turkey or Japan.

[Fergus]

LOVE the idea of Istanbul!

[FiveRinger]

How many times has Istanbul tried to get an Olympics? I'd like to see them with the bid.

[Vagabond]

Even though the Doha bid contemplates staging the games later than is customary, in late September and early October, it could be a disaster waiting to happen. The average daytime high temperature is in the upper 90's, and many of the events will have to be held out of doors and during day light hours (triathlon, bicycle road racing, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, open-water swimming, etc.). Last October, an American competing in an open-water swimming race in nearby Fujairah died during the race, probably because of heat-related problems.

An Olympics in Istanbul, with events on both sides of the Bosphorus (including some races that crossed the waterway) could be .

[BigB08822]

I think Doha would have one of the most amazing Olympics ever but the heat! It just can't be safely done without moving back too far in the year. Istanbul seems nice to me.

[Buzz]

Even though the Doha bid contemplates staging the games later than is customary, in late September and early October, it could be a disaster waiting to happen. The average daytime high temperature is in the upper 90's, and many of the events will have to be held out of doors and during day light hours (triathlon, bicycle road racing, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, open-water swimming, etc.). Last October, an American competing in an open-water swimming race in nearby Fujairah died during the race, probably because of heat-related problems.

The heat and lack of enough cities did not stop Qatar from getting the WC.

[Vagabond]

The heat and lack of enough cities did not stop Qatar from getting the WC.

But the World Cup matches are going to be in enclosed, climate-controlled arenas. You can't stage some events (such as those mentioned in my previous post) indoors and many, possibly most, of these (yachting and the equestrian three-day event, for example) can't be staged at night.

[walei]

There was a huge controversy when FIFA awarded WC to Qatar and now there is a corruption skandle under investigation. IOC openly criticized FIFA over it so I don't see them voting for Doha.

[kylet3]

I certainly hope Doha ISN'T awarded the games. Qatar has absolutely no relations with Israel, and you can be thrown in jail for upwards of five years because you are gay... I think it would send a very BAD message. Personallly I think the games will go to either Tokyo, Madrid or Rome.

[OlieRow]

Color me shocked that the guy with the dial-up computer got Azerbaijan's bid in on time!

[Southpaw]

Color me shocked that the guy with the dial-up computer got Azerbaijan's bid in on time!

I think he wrote it on Myrna Loy's shoulder instead. Quicker that way.

[Jenna]

I really want to go to an Olympic Games, but August 2012 is going to be a really bad time for me (don't ask me how I know already ) and Sochi and South Korea are probably out of the picture, financially. 2020 is probably my best bet.

I'm hoping for Madrid or Rome. I might splurge and go to Tokyo, though.

[gingercrush]

I hope Tokyo gets it. Hopefully the earthquakes there doesn't freak everyone out. Italy and Spain surely can't afford to host them. Turkey wouldn't be too bad and is definately my second choice. But I want Tokyo to get it.

[walei]

Dust off this thread to update that today in Quebec City the IOC has announced Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul are the official candidate cities for the 2020 Games. Baku and Doha did not make the short list.

[BigB08822]

Tokyo is crowded enough, where would all of the athletes, coaches, tourists, etc all stay!? It could be a logistics nightmare. I like Istanbul or Madrid but I worry about the economy in Spain. I know it could be totally different in 2020 but it could also be totally worse. Istanbul for the win.

[Theatregirl1122]

Yeah, I'm on team Istanbul as well.

[walei]

Tokyo is apparently the front runner now as judged by the IOC for technical merits. Tokyo's bid is to reuse and upgrade a lot of their existing venues from their previous hosting back in '64. Their biggest obstacle is PyeongChang 2018 because the IOC may not want to have two Games in Asia back to back.

Istanbul can pull a Rio 2016, but with their previous announcement for Turkey to bid for Euro2020 and could win that by default (as the only bid), the IOC may not want to give the Games to Istanbul.

Madrid has their economy as a big obstacle they really need to convince the IOC of their financial security in 2020.

Personally I want Madrid to win haha just to knock out all possible European cities for 2024 to lessen the competition for Toronto. If Tokyo wins, 2024 is pretty much Europe's to lose unless South Africa steps in.

[vesperholly]

Team Istanbul for me. I like diversifying the locations. Spain had a OG in 1992 and Japan in 1998.