Madrid, Sep 3 (DPA) Despite the criticism its bid got from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluating commission report, Madrid now feels strengthened in the home stretch of the race to host the 2016 Olympics.
“Without any kind of triumphalism, but based on deep analysis, we have to say that Madrid comes out of this report stronger,” said Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, mayor of Madrid, here Wednesday.
“Madrid is going to fight till the end. With all its strength, quality and competitive elements,” he added.
The IOC made public Wednesday the non-binding report drafted by its evaluating commission after visiting Madrid and its rival cities – Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Tokyo.
The final decision on the host of the 2016 Olympics is set to be made by the 107 voting members of the IOC in Copenhagen, Oct 2.
The report praised Madrid’s infrastructure and the facts that most facilities are within a 10-kilometre radius and that 23 out of 33 facilities have already been built.
However, the bid also got strong criticism regarding administrative coordination, anti-doping legislation and general presentation. According to the commission, the bid “varied in quality.”
“That refers to the form and not the substance of the project,” Ruiz Gallardon argued.
Rio de Janeiro’s bid was regarded as “very high quality”, while Chicago and Tokyo were said to be “high quality”.
Gallardon described Madrid as “the city that received the most praise and the least criticism” in the report.
“We have the most positive elements to strengthen our bid, the substantial elements that should lead IOC members to decide,” he said.
Spain’s Secretary of State of Sports, Jaime Lissavetzky, vowed to clear up confusion around Spain’s anti-doping legislation.
“At the time of the visit, it was unclear whether Spanish anti-doping legislation complied with the WADA code. It is important that this issue is resolved,” the IOC commission’s report said.
The government of socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero issued a decree with less restrictive rules. It no longer forced sportsmen and -women to be permanently available for testing and restricted out-of-competition testing between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Lissavetzky stressed Wednesday that the Spanish government would be “willing to modify” legislation if it is deemed not to be in accordance with WADA requirements.
The report left a sweet-and-sour flavour in bid officials.
“Sweet because they have seen that our project is good, sour because we have not been good at explaining it,” said bid CEO Mercedes Coghen. “We are not good communicators.”
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