Bidding for the Games - Rome 2020 Update; Munich 2018 Postmortem; British YOG?

Rome 2020 Update

Rome's 2020 Olympics bid has received another boost after the lower house of Italy's Parliament approved economic measures for the campaign.

A bid spokesman tells Around the Rings that the Chamber of Deputies approved the measures last Friday with about 500 in favor to 75 against. The Italian Senate is set to back proposals later this week.

Speaking at an environmental conference in Rome, Corrado Clini, minister for the environment and a member of Mario Monti's cabinet, said: "The Olympic Games are a strong message of sustainability and for this reason the government will give strong support to the Rome 2020 candidature."

With cost-benefit studies already presented to government ministers, the next milestone for the bid is to secure investment for the 2020 Games bid and its proposals.

Munich 2018 Consultant Mulls Bid's Failure

German bid consultant Andreas Abold, who worked on the failed Munich 2018 bid, says four bid leadership changes and the nearly unprecedented level of support for PyeongChang were the deciding factors in the 2018 bid race.

In an interview posted on his firm’s website, Abold says "an Olympic bid must be led hierarchically with military precision such as in the Formula 1. One person defines the direction. It was difficult for each leader of the bid to assess the impact and effort the bid process was going to have."

He added that the Koreans’ ability to act "more freely" in the political and economic realm proved a Sisyphean task to overcome for Munich.

"Munich has been at the same level as PyeongChang in many aspects," Abold said.

He added that "Politics and economy fought tirelessly – and very effectively" for PyeongChang.

Aboldencouraged another German bid, noting the "pro-Olympic" mood of Germans and German companies as well as the factthat the Games have not gone to Germany in 80 years.

"We have a good example right here in Munich," he said. "Sticking to the philosophy of FC Bayern Munich, we will not lose again."

BOA Will "Consider" YOG Bids

Cities in the United Kingdom can apply to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The British Olympic Association announced Monday that the BOA will consider bidding for the YOG.

"Delivering a tangible, UK wide sportinglegacy was a key element of London’s bid for the 2012 Olympics, so it would be fitting if hosting the 2018 Youth Olympic Games contributed to bringing this ambition to life," BOA chief executive Andy Hunt said in a statement.

Candidate cities must apply by Jan. 30 and the BOA will make a final decision at the end of February whether to bid.

"While inviting expressions of interest from cities in the UK who wish to put themselves forward as potential candidate cities is an essential step in the process, it is important to be clear that ultimately, the decision whether to submit a bid to the International Olympic Committee rests with the National Olympic Committee," said Hunt.

Media Watch

For a Denver 2022 Winter Olympic bid to be successful, leaders must show "what the Olympics can do for Colorado for the long term, not what Colorado can do for the Olympics," according to an editorial in The Coloradoan. The newspaper is published in Fort Collins, nearby to Denver.

Written by Ed Hula III and Mark Bisson.

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