Samaranch gets behind Madrid

2005-03-29 10:30

Madrid - Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch is keeping his fingers crossed that Madrid can see off stiff competition to host the 2012 Olympics.

Paris, London, New York and Moscow are also in the frame with the IOC's 117 members to make the final decision in Singapore on July 6.

British bookmakers William Hill have Paris as 4/7 favourite but Samaranch, keen for Madrid to follow in Barcelona's 1992 footsteps, told AS sports daily on Monday he believed the Spanish capital had an excellent chance of success.

"Madrid's candidature is right out of the top drawer. Recently Madrid has organised world and European championships and other major tournaments - it is now one of the cities which organises the most sporting events in the world," he said.

Samaranch, honorary IOC president but who will not have a vote come July, stressed that "I myself have no function whatsoever regarding the candidature.

"All I do, when I have the chance to talk with a friend of mine who is an IOC member is show them the goodness of the Madrid bid... get them to see that Madrid has a great bid.

"I have friends in all the (candidate) cities so all I can say is that Madrid has a great bid," the 85-year-old Samaranch said.

IOC assessors gave Madrid an overall 8.3 rating out of ten when they visited the city last month, but Paris led the way with 8.5 ahead of London and New York with Moscow bringing up the rear.

- AFP