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| Londoners celebrate in the city's Trafalgar
Square after London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games yesterday.
(AFP) |
The 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London, the International
Olympic Committee has announced.
London won a two-way fight with Paris by 54 votes to 50 at the IOC
meeting in Singapore, after bids from Moscow, New York and Madrid were
eliminated.
Prime Minister Tony Blair called the win "a momentous day" for Britain.
Paris had been favourites throughout the campaign but London's hopes
were raised after an impressive presentation by Lord Coe, the bid
chairman.
IOC president Jacques Rogge made the dramatic announcement at 1249 BST.
It will be the first time the Olympics has been held in Britain since
1948.
Coe said: "This is just the most fantastic opportunity to do everything
we ever dreamed of in British sport."
The Queen, in a message to Coe, said: "I send my warmest
congratulations to you and every member of the London 2012 team for
winning the bid for the UK.
"It's a really outstanding achievement to beat such a highly
competitive field."
After the announcement, it emerged London was ahead in every round of
voting except the second round when Madrid polled the most votes.
News of London's victory delighted flag-waving supporters who had
gathered in Trafalgar Square and Stratford in the East End of London,
where the new Olympic park will be built.
Shares of British construction companies soared, while mortgage lenders
predicted house prices in the capital would rocket.
But raindrops began falling on disappointed Parisians outside the Hotel
de Ville in the French capital shortly after the result.
Mr Blair had helped London's late momentum with a
whistle stop 48-hour
visit to Singapore, before flying back for the G8 summit in Scotland.
The best city in the world meets the best sporting event in the world!
Breaking off from the meeting of world leaders, he said of London:
"Many reckon it is the greatest capital city in the world and the Olympics
will help keep it that way."
Rogge had correctly forecast a cliffhanger vote, and offered his
congratulations to the winners.
"We knew the two bids were very, very close. Well done, London. It will
be a superb Games and will strengthen the Olympics," he said.
An hour after the decision, London's bid leaders were greeted by warm
applause as they signed the official contract to stage the Games.
This is how the decision was made by the IOC in Singapore on Wednesday:
All five bidding cities gave final 45-minute presentations to the IOC
members before the vote began.
The electronic ballot started at 1126 BST. Moscow, New York and Madrid
were eliminated from the race in the first, second and third rounds of
voting.
The final round of voting finished at about 1145
BST, with the committee reconvening
at 1230 BST for the official announcement.
Rogge revealed the winner, after a nerve-wracking wait, at 1249 BST.
Wednesday's decision brings to an end the 18-month race to win the host
contract for the 2012 Games.
And it was the most keenly-fought bidding contest in recent years.
Paris was considered the front-runner for much of the campaign, and was
highly rated in the initial evaluation and also by the inspectors after
their visits earlier in the year.
But it was widely recognised that bid leader Lord Coe, a high-profile
personality within the IOC and other governing bodies, hauled London
closer to the French capital as the vote approached.
Madrid was seen as a consistent but not outstanding
candidate, while New York's bid was dogged by problems over their proposed
stadium, and Moscow was always seen as the rank outsider
.
Once attention moved to Singapore, the bidding cities called on
political and sporting heavyweights to champion their causes.
And the spotlight inevitably focused on Paris and London in the days
leading up to the vote.
The two cities had President Chirac and Prime Minister Blair
respectively in their corners.
Mr Chirac actually took part in the French capital's final presentation
on Wednesday, while Mr Blair opted to lobby alongside the London bid team
in Singapore before flying back to Britain to host the G8 summit.
London also called on England captain David Beckham and a galaxy of
Olympic and Paralympic medallists as ambassadors, while footballers
Laurent Blanc and Zinedine Zidane were among those backing the Paris bid.
(BBC) | 
Updated: 2005-07-07 08:39
