No rush on Olympics decision

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Sports Minister Richard Caborn said today the Government would not be rushed into a decision on a London bid for the 2012 Olympics, despite encouragement from International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Rogge told Standard Sport yesterday that the capital could be a frontrunner in the vote in 2005, but warned the Government that any bid was "doomed to fail" if they did not back it.

But Caborn, in the middle of a series of visits to former Olympic cities, said debates needed to take place in Parliament and the Cabinet before a decision could be made in the next two months. He said today: "That's a decision for the Cabinet to take and that's in January. There will be a debate in Parliament early in the New Year.

"There are a number of issues which we are now going through systematically. Prime Minister Tony Blair will make a decision based upon the facts and what we're trying to do is get the best available evidence so we can present that to the Cabinet so they can make an informed decision.

"That will be discussed by the Cabinet next month and we'll see what comes out of that meeting." Caborn has already been to Athens, venue for the next Summer Games in 2004, as well as 2000 hosts Sydney to gauge the impact of the Games on the cities. He is due to start a two-day visit to Munich, which staged the 1972 Games, tomorrow.

The deadline for applications is next July, although New York and Moscow have already stepped up to the starting line and announced their participation.

Paris is expected to announce its decision to run in the next few months while further bids are due from Madrid and a German city to be decided.

 

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