Tower Bridge, photo by PhotoRun.net
LONDON (GBR): The London Evening Standard reports that IOC officials have secretly asked if London could host the 2016 Olympic Games. An informal approach was made by the IOC to see if enough venues from the 2012 Games could be brought back into use due to concerns that venues in Rio will not be ready to host the global event. However, a spokeswoman for the IOC said that moving the Games to London was a “non-starter and unfeasible”.
(Editor’s note: It is common knowledge that Rio has had it’s hiccups. With the problems with the World Cup, and the pro-active involvement by the IOC in Rio, the London Evening Standard story is not too far fetched.
It is great to move the Olympics around the world, but with the economic, social and cultural challenges in Rio, the IOC has to be nervous. It should be noted that in every Olympics that I can remember, from 1968 on, there has been stories about Olympic venues not getting done. In Athens, there was no grass around the Olympic stadiums until I returned in 2006 for the World Cup.
London 2012 was the most spectacular Olympics I have witnessed as a member of the media. The sites were fantastic, the crowds were enthusiastic and the performances were top notch. One did not really worry about their safety in London. Neither did I worry in Beijing. Common sense does require one to be observant.
We hope Rio works out, but, if the IOC is not looking for contingency plans, then, they are not doing their jobs.)
