The Madrid 2016 formal questionnaire, submitted to the IOC, says an Olympics in the Spanish capital will be The Games of the People.

The questionnaire is part of the formal process towards a final decision next year.

The Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón said the Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic bid would create a fivefold “precious legacy.”
Society – with new education and sanitary programs
Sports – with new facilities for all.
Economy – attracting more tourism and more commercial opportunities
Environment – with new parks and bicycle-riding infrastructures
Culture – improving and promoting the new technologies and creative opportunities

“The benefits of this regeneration will last for future generations,” said Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón, “the Madrid Government will work to ensure that citizens can feel themselves really involved in this beautiful universal adventure”

The slogan for the Madrid bid is “Feel the experience. It’s in your hands”, and the Mayor explained: “We want these Games to be the Games of the People, the Games that involve every citizen. This citizen participation will be shown in our top quality sports infrastructures and in every activity related to the Olympic bid and the Games themselves”.

Physical and social renovation

The questionnaire, handed yesterday by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee located in Lausanne, answers a total of 25 questions concerning the applicant city’s project and they will be further explained in a longer dossier. In any case, these answers already outline the profile of what Madrid wants to be a crucial event in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The human approach of the Games concerns every citizen, as Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón, insisted, “will add a pledge on the social and physical renovation of the city through a thorough design of the infrastructures, both the old and the new ones”. That is the reason why the project is divided into two different areas: the East side of the city, containing 15 sports areas for competition, will be the “heart” of the Games and the West side of the city, that will be located along the river and around the environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Games.

The Mayor also said that “this compact design that will allow 25 out of the 30 sports areas for competition in Madrid to be located in less than 12 kilometres from the city centre, will also allow a quick and effective transport of the Olympic family, the audience and the journalists. The transport will also be clean because we will give a top and important priority to the air quality and the environment in order to achive Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be free of private vehicles”.

“In fact, Madrid is proving that the financial development, the social integration and the environmental protection are compatible objectives, and those are the reasons why we are starting from a good base in that aspect”, he added. Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also reminded that there is a park 10 minutes far from every citizen home, that the river is regaining its importance and that the refuse collection for recycling and the air quality of Madrid obey the European requirements.

Madrid has also a Local Strategy Plan in order to improve the air quality (Estrategia Local del Aire 2006-2010), which includes a limitation in the city traffic and an even stronger promotion on using the public transport. The Games will also bring Madrid new parks and green spaces out of a 780 hectares-degraded area so the citizens can practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and coexistence.

Guarantee of Success

Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also mentioned other reasons that guarantee the success of the Games in the capital of Spain. He mentioned the hotel infrastructure, which will offer a total of 80.000 rooms in 2016, more of half of them being 4 and 5 stars hotels. He also mentioned that Madrid has one of the most modern and complete transport networks in the world.

The Mayor specially outlined two ideas. First, the experience in organizing high level sport competitions, both national and international, and second, the unanimous institutional and popular support (86 % of the Madrid citizens and 89% of the Spanish people back the Olympic bid).

Finally, Ruiz-Gallardón concluded that “the citizens of Madrid and the visitors will be part of a sole and unique Olympic city with extra educational programs and everybody will share an exceptional experience that will remain in the hearts and memories of everybody for lots of years”, as the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid has assured the IOC.

Note to editors

The main points of the bid are:

The Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would unleash an intense and powerful social regeneration process in the Spanish capital.
The effects of this regeneration, as the Mayor says: “are going to be noticed from about the middle of this year to and during the next generations.”
The legacy is going to be focused in five major aspects: society, sports, economics, environment and culture.
The East side of the city is the “heart” of the Games, containing 15 sport areas for competition. The West side of the city, along the river and its environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Olympic city.
25 out of 30 sports areas for competition in Madrid will be located in less than 12 kilometres from the city centre in order to allow a quick, effective and clean transport of the Olympic family.
A 780 hectares-degraded area will be transformed in green spaces and parks where people will be able to practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and co- existence.

Malcolm Munro
Director, Media & Strategy
good relations

26 Southampton Buildings
London WC2A 1PQ
(t) +44 207 861 3217
(f) + 44 207 861 3131
(m) 07795013006
(e) mmunro@goodrelations.co.uk
(w) www.goodrelations.co.uk

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Press Release | Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid, Madrid Olympic Blueprint Unveiled

- The Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would bring an intense and powerful social regeneration process in the Spanish capital.
- The effects of this regeneration, as the Mayor said: “are going to be noticed from about the middle of this year on to and during the next generations.”
- The legacy is going to be focused in five major aspects: society, sports, economics, environment and culture.
- The East side of the city is the “heart” of the Games, containing 15 sport areas for competition. The West side of the city, along the river and its environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Olympic city.
- 25 out of 30 sports areas for competition in Madrid will be located in less than 12 kilometres radius from the city centre in order to allow for a quick, effective and clean transport of the Olympic family.
- A 780 hectares-degraded area will be transformed in green spaces and parks where people will be able to practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and coexistence.

The Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, described by the Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón as The Games of the People because of the great importance of the Madrid citizens in the project, is going to bring an intense and powerful social regeneration process in the Spanish capital.

Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón presented today the questionnaire that explains every detail of the most important aspects of the Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic bid. Besides, he explained that the legacy of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games is going to be focused in five major aspects: the society (thanks to the new education and sanitary programs); the sports (making sure that the 70 % of the sport areas for competition will be finished before 2016 ends); the economy (the project will attract more tourism and more commercial opportunities); the environment (by creating new parks and bicycle-riding infrastructures) and the culture (improving and promoting the new technologies and creative languages).

The effects of this regeneration, as Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón confirmed, are going to be noticed from about the middle of this year on to and during the next generations, thus the Madrid Government great efforts to make sure the citizens can feel really involved in this “beautiful universal adventure”, whose slogan: “Feel the experience. It’s in your hands”, shows the open and welcoming aim of the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid.

The Mayor of Madrid also said: “We want these Games to be the Games of the People, the Games that involve every citizen. This citizen participation will be shown in our top quality sports infrastructures and in every activity related to the Olympic bid and the Games themselves”.

Physical and social renovation

The questionnaire, delivered yesterday by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee located in Lausanne, answers a total of 25 questions concerning the applicant city’s project and they will be further explained in a longer dossier. In any case, these answers already outline the profile of what Madrid wants to be a crucial event in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The human approach of the Games concerns every citizen, as Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón insisted, “will add a pledge on the social and physical renovation of the city through a thorough design of the infrastructures, both the old and the new ones”. That is the reason why the project is divided into two different clusters: the East side of the city, containing 15 sport venues for competition, will be the “heart” of the Games and the West side of the city, that will be located along the river and around the environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Games.

The Mayor also said that “this compact design that will allow 25 out of the 30 sport venues for competition in Madrid to be located in less than 12 kilometres from the city centre, will also allow a quick and effective transport of the Olympic family, the audience and the journalists. The transport will also be clean because we will give top priority to the air quality and the environment in order to achieve Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be free of private vehicles”.

“In fact, Madrid is proving that the financial development, the social integration and the environmental protection are compatible objectives, and those are the reasons why we are starting from a good base in that aspect”, he added. Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also reminded that there is a park 10 minutes away from every citizen’s home, that the river is regaining its importance and that the waste collection for recycling and the air quality of Madrid obey the European requirements.

Madrid has also a Local Strategy Plan in order to improve the air quality (Estrategia Local del Aire 2006-2010), which includes a limitation in the city traffic and an even stronger promotion on using the public transport. The Games will also bring Madrid new parks and green spaces out of a 780 hectares-degraded area so the citizens can practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and coexistence.

Guarantee of Success

Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also mentioned other reasons that guarantee the success of the Games in the capital of Spain. He mentioned the hotel infrastructure, which will offer a total of 80.000 rooms in 2016, more of half of them being 4 and 5 stars hotels. He also stated that Madrid has one of the most modern and complete transport networks in the world.

The Mayor specially outlined two ideas. First, the experience in organizing high level sport competitions, both national and international, and second, the unanimous institutional and popular support (86 % of the Madrid citizens and 89% of Spaniards back the Olympic bid).

Finally, Ruiz-Gallardón concluded that “the citizens of Madrid and the visitors will be part of a sole and unique Olympic city with extra educational programs and everybody will share an exceptional experience that will remain in the hearts and memories of everybody for lots of years”, as the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid has assured the IOC.

Jaime Lissavetzky, Secretary of State for Sport, Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), and Alberto López Viejo, Councillor for Sport of the Community of Madrid, also attended the presentation.

Jorge Híjar Alvir
Coordinador de Comunicación
jhijar@madrid16.es

Telf. +34 91 320 2016 / Móv. +34 650 803 412
Palacio de Cibeles, C/ Montalbán, 1
28014 Madrid

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Press Release | Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid, The Games of the People

Chicago (USA), Prague (Czech Republic), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar) and Madrid (Spain)* – had until midnight on 14 January to submit their files to the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Application File, which marks the first phase in the procedure leading to the election of the host city of the Olympic Games in 2016, should, through the responses to the 25 questions asked and guarantees requested, provide the IOC with an overview of each Applicant City’s project. For details of the 2016 bid process, please visit our website at the following address: www.olympic.org/2016.

The responses will now be studied by an IOC-appointed working group and by the IOC Executive Board, the latter meeting in June to decide which cities will be accepted as Candidates Cities.

The cities selected as Candidates will take part in an Observer Programme at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games this summer.

The election of the 2016 host city will take place in Copenhagen on 2 October 2009.

* the cities are listed in the order of the drawing of lots

# # #

For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org

Source

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Press Release | All Seven 2016 Applicant Cities Return Responses

Important authorities of the Federal, State and City governments and Brazilian Olympic Committee were this Friday at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, in Lausanne, Switzerland, to hand-deliver the documentation required by IOC for the first phase of the process to bid the 2016 Olympic and Paraolympic Games. “We came here to tell the world that Rio is ready for the 2016 Olympic Games. We will throw the greatest party ever, engaging the youth of the world in a celebration that Brazil is unique in presenting,” said in Lausanne, Sérgio Cabral, Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

The Rio 2016 Master Plan planned for compact and operationally efficient Games, with all different sports events being held within the city limits of the City of Rio de Janeiro. Over 50% of the athletes will compete in venues located 5 to 10 minutes from the Olympic Village. In addition, Rio 2016 will benefit from the sports legacy of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games and from the fact that the 2014 FIFA World Cup will take place in Brazil. The Rio 2016 project already provides venues for 72% of the athletes that will compete in the Games. Important iconic landmarks of the City will be used in the Games, like the Maracanã Stadium for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the football finals; the Carnival temple, Sambodromo, for the archery events and the marathon; and the Copacabana Beach, for the beach volleyball, triathlon and swimming marathons.

The Rio 2016 concept includes strategies to engage youth in Olympic sports. One of the innovations will be the creation of the X Park in the region with the highest young population density in the City. These new facilities will house cycling (BMX), cycling (mountain bike) and slalom canoe-kayak with new sport presentation formats and spectator experience. After the Games, the X Park will offer Olympic and adventure sports in a youth-oriented huge sports and recreational area.

The Rio 2016 transportation structure will secure fast and efficient trips to all accredited groups and spectators of the Games. High capacity bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors will be built integrating the four zones of the Games, a project whose feasibility, deadline for completion and financing are confirmed.

Governmental guarantees provided to Rio 2016 for this initial phase exceed IOC requirements. “The commitments presented show the soundness of the Rio 2016 bid and the conviction that we have all the conditions to organize the first edition of the Olympic Games in South America,” stated Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Rio 2016 Bid Committee. The documentation submitted this Friday to IOC includes garantee letter jointly signed by the president of the Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; the governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral; the mayor of the City of Rio de Janeiro, Cesar Maia; and the president of Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, guaranteeing that all financial and organizational conditions for the hosting of the 2016 Olympic and Paraolympic Games in Brazil will be provided.

In addition to the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro and the BOC president, the Rio 2016 delegation to Lausanne included the Vice-Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão; the Federal Government Executive Secretary for Rio 2016, Ricardo Leyser; the Sports Secretary of the Rio de Janeiro State Government, Eduardo Paes; the Rio de Janeiro City Government Special Secretary for Rio 2016, Ruy Cesar; and the Rio 2016 Bid Committee Secretary General, Carlos Roberto Osório.

The questionnaire will be available on the Rio 2016 site (www.rio2016.org.br) as of Tuesday, January 15.

For additional information on Rio 2016, please visit: www.rio2016.org.br

Sincerely yours,
Rio 2016 Bid Media Relations
Claudio Motta / Christian Dawes
Phone – 55-21-2494.2085 / 2494.2086
cobtextual@cob.org.br

Source

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Press Release | Rio Pledges to Present the World Greatest Party in 2016

“We regard the (2012) London Games as the last of the 20th-century-style Olympics,” world-renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, executive producer of the Fukuoka bid, said. “After the 1936 ‘Nazi Games’, nearly 90 percent of the (Summer) Olympics have been held in capitals or big cities of similar size and used to boost the prestige of the host countries,” Isozaki said. “This trend deviates from the true principle of the Olympics.”

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) will choose between Fukuoka and the Tokyo on August 30 as Japan’s sole candidate for the 2016 venue, which won’t be decided by the International Olympic Committee until mid-2009. Other potential bid cities include Madrid and New York, both of which lost 2012 bids. New York will face challenges from Los Angeles, which reaped huge profits by hosting the 1994 Games, and other US cities. Other potential candidates include Rio De Janeiro and Asian cities Busan in South Korea, Bangkok and New Delhi.

Fukuoka has already hosted such world-class sporting events as the 1995 Student Games, the 2001 World Swimming Championships as well as the recent World Cross Country championships. The city plans to invest some 480 billion yen ($4.2 billion) in Olympic-related infrastructure — 97 billion yen each from its own coffers and the state government as well as 270 billion yen from the private sector.

Both Fukuoka and Tokyo, which staged Asia’s first Olympics in 1964, have promised to place most of their Olympic facilities within a radius of 10 kilometers with such “compactness” being an Olympic trend.

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Fukuoka Joins the Olympic Bid Process