London makes shortlist to host 2012 Olympics

LONDON’S bid to stage the 2012 summer Olympics was given a major boost yesterday when the city was shortlisted as one of five candidates by the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC executive board voted unanimously for London, which will now battle with Paris, Moscow, New York and Madrid to host the event.

“It’s a very special honour to be chosen as a candidate city and we will do everything in our power to justify the IOC’s faith in London as a potential host,” said Barbara Cassani, the chair of the London campaign.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a statement in support of the bid.

“I am not surprised we have cleared this important first hurdle,” he said.

“A huge amount of work has gone into ensuring

London’s bid will deliver a memorable games for the athletes, for the capital, for our whole country and for the entire Olympic family.”

London last hosted the Olympics in 1948 and Blair added: “The government will continue to do all we can to bring the Games back to the UK.”

At a news conference after the shortlist was announced at the Palais Beaulieu in Lausanne, IOC president Jacques Rogge refused to compare the cities that survived the cut.

Havana, Leipzig, Rio and Istanbul missed out but Rogge said: “I don’t like the word rejection. We could not retain certain cities because we did not think their files were totally ready.”

All nine candidates were judged on a 50-page report they submitted in January.

Paris, is viewed to be ahead of London in the betting. The final vote will be taken at the IOC Congress in Singapore in July 2005, though a final elimination process could still take place beforehand.