THE PRESIDENT OF Spain’s 2020 Olympic Games bid has insisted that the country would be ready to hold the event immediately.
Despite a substantial national debt, the Spanish capital of Madrid is one of three cities bidding to host the 32nd Games, with Tokyo and Istanbul also in the mix.
Bid organisers have promised the Madrid Games would be one of the cheapest to host of all time, with “80 per cent” of the buildings set to be used already in place.
President of the bid, Alejandro Blanco, said: “We are ready to stage the Games now. Madrid 2020 makes sense and we have left nothing to chance. We have a risk-free bid. You can trust in Madrid, not just in the future but right now, from today onwards. Choosing Madrid is a safe and sensible decision.”
Felipe, Prince of Asturias was a member of the Olympic sailing team at the Barcelona Games in 1992 and is determined to deliver the Olympics back to his home country for the people of Spain.
“Few events in my life have meant as much to me as representing Spain at the Barcelona Games,” said Prince Felipe. “Though I didn’t win a medal, I came away with something more important than that; an appreciation of the human values on which the Games are founded and which bring people from all over the world together.
“Madrid 2020 is not a bid based on dreams because we have already built it. It is a bid in keeping with the times. We have shouldered the responsibility and reduced the risks so that you, the IOC, do not have to take any.”
