IOC Report Details Challenges for 2020 Bid Cities

(ATR)Istanbul faces challenges for transport, while Madrid and Tokyo take advantage of compact venue plans, according to Tuesday's reportfrom the IOC Evaluation Commission.

That's the verdict of the IOC Evaluation Commission chaired by Great Britain’s Craig Reedie.

Tuesday’s report from the 15-member commission follows a series of inspection visits to Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid made throughout March.

"We are indeed very pleased with the quality of each bid and it is clear that the IOC members will have a difficult choice to make this September in Buenos Aires," Reedie said in a statement.

The document arrives a week before IOC members meet in Lausanne for the 2020 Candidate Cities Briefing and about 10 weeks before they head to Buenos Aires to vote for an Olympics host.

In the 110-page report, there are no rankings or conclusions drawn about the 14 themes of each bid analyzed by the IOC inspection team. An objective tone pervades the report.

They are: vision, concept and legacy; sport and competition venues; Olympic Village; Paralympic Games; accommodation; transport; media operations; environment; safety and security; medical services and doping control; legal aspects; Games governance and delivery; political and public support; marketing and finance.

Transport Concerns for Istanbul

For Istanbul, bidding to become the first secular Muslim country to host the Games, the IOC identifies transport as one of its toughest challenges. The report said the vision to integrate both the European and Asian sides of the city results in "a Games plan that is spread across the city. As a consequence, Olympic client groups would experience longer travel times and potential operational challenges."

It added: "Istanbul 2020 states that athlete travel time from the Olympic Village to competition venues would not exceed 35 minutes, though the commission believes that this may be optimistic for the most distant venues."

However, the commission remarked on the "Integrated Urban Transport Master Plan 2009-2023", which includes 18 transport projects estimated to cost $9.8 billion that would be delivered before 2020.

Despite the massive cash injection into transport upgrades, the IOC claimed traffic growth estimates suggested there was a "high risk" of road congestion during the Games, particularly in the Coastal and Bosphorus zones.

Istanbul proposes 38 venues of which 70 percent need to be built at a cost of USD $2.9 billion.

While funding is not an issue and TOKI, a state agency for construction, is behind the Olympic project, the commission said: "Given the significant scope of construction required, the monitoring process would be extremely important to ensure the delivery of all venues to the OCOG."

Accommodation for athletes and officials in the Bosphorus Zone, labeled an "NOC Precinct" (1,200 rooms in 8 hotels) in the bid file, also drew concerns.

"Based on the travel times presented, Istanbul 2020 confirmed that it would provide one village for all athletes in the Olympic City Cluster. The commission confirmed that according to IOC requirements, OCOGs should not finance any additional accommodation for athletes and officials entitled to stay in the Olympic Village unless required by the IOC," the report said.

The IOC’s report was compiled before the anti-government protests rocked Istanbul in recent weeks.

Noting that security planning was adequate to ensure safe and secure Games, the commission remarked on Turkey sharing a border with Syria where the country’s conflict has resulted in thousands of refugees fleeing the civil war.

The IOC noted the strong public and political support for the bid, the fifth by Istanbul for the Games.

Hotel Rates Issue for Tokyo

Few criticisms or concerns were leveled at the Tokyo candidature, underlining how the Japanese bid has learned from the mistakes of its 2016 campaign.

The IOC noted the "compact Games concept" – 85 percent of competition venues are within an 8 kilometer radius of the Olympic Village – and "one of the most modern and efficient public transport systems in the world" that would lead to short travel times for athletes and Olympic stakeholders.

Nine of the proposed 36 competition venues will be new-builds but the commission harbored no concerns about Tokyo’s ability to fund and deliver on time through the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s "Hosting Reserve Fund" of $4.5 billion, earmarked for venue construction.

But the IOC raised concerns about three existing landmark venues from the 1964 Games proposed for judo, table tennis and boxing, saying they would present "operational challenges due to the limited space available around the venues".

Tokyo’s high hotel rates were identified in the report – in a 5-star hotel, $1634 for a double and $690 for a single; in a 3-star hotel $571 and $301.

On security, the IOC noted the work done in Tokyo by the government to implement safety measures such as sea walls and breakwaters after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of people.

No Economic Warning for Madrid

Despite the recession hit Spanish economy and 27 percent unemployment, there were not major concerns voiced about the economy for Madrid 2020.

With a non-OCOG capital investment budget of $1.94 billion, the IOC highlighted the financial guarantees of three levels of government.

On sponsorship revenues, it said the OCOG "could still face some risks associated with the state of the Spanish economy", but added: "Both Madrid 2020 and the government have indicated that the Spanish economy shows signs of recovery. The budget represents a reasonable estimate of the costs and revenues associated with hosting the Games and the commission considers it to be achievable."

Madrid’s third consecutive bid for the Olympics has helped its cause, according to the IOC in a crucial statement that will be seized on by the bid committee.

"Madrid enjoys the benefit of substantial previous investment in city infrastructure and, as a result, requires minimal additional capital investment," said the report.

"The commission believes that the degree of financial risk facing Madrid 2020 should be manageable over seven years within the overall Spanish economy and taking into account government guarantees."

The IOC noted a "very compact Games concept" and the short travel times for athletes. Only four new venues would be built.

But Reedie’s team said the use of some venues that would provide a very attractive backdrop for the Games – Las Ventas bullring for basketball and Retiro Park for beach volleyball – could have challenges involved in transforming them into Olympic venues.

The report added: "Though many feasibility studies have been carried out on the site proposed for rowing/canoeing, the existence of a major road bridge makes the development of this venue a complex undertaking that would require significant investment."

Written by Mark Bisson.

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