On October 02 there are going to be three very disappointed nations as the IOC vote by secret ballot on who will host the 2016 Olympic games.
The four cities in with a chance of having their names read out are Madrid, Tokyo, Chicago and Rio de Janeiro.
Supposedly the days of incentives are over so this is meant to come down to who has the best bid on the table according to the IOC Executive, but as we all know there is still plenty of politics to be played out.
The IOC has ranked the bids on various issues such as infrastructure, money, support and also technical capability; On the latter Tokyo came out on top with Madrid second, Chicago third and Rio fourth.
When it came to the first three Chicago came out on top. But will the vote be purely based on these criteria, or will there be the usual back scratching going on?
Not The Footy Show will now give its view of how the vote will pan out.
Rio de Janeiro hosted the Pan-American Games in 2007, but the Olympic games are a far bigger proposition. Brazil is due to host the FIFA World cup in 2014, and it is likely that the IOC will wait to see how they fare with that before they let Rio become the first South American city to host the Olympics.
Madrid, finished a close third behind London and Paris in the race for the 2012 Games, but it is unlikely to win due to the IOC being unlikely to give back to back Olympics to Europe in these days of international equality.
Tokyo hopes to host the event for the first time since 1964 and has a chance. The Japanese did well with the 2002 FIFA World Cup and are known for their efficiency. Economically sound Tokyo has a very good chance but is likely to end up second to Chicago.
Despite losing its grip as a world super power the USA still holds great sway in the world especially in terms of the consumer dollar. The US economy needs a boost and awarding Chicago the 2016 Olympic games will give the economy a fillip and be a sign that faith has been restored in the USA. If it wins it will be the first American city to host the games since 1996, twenty years earlier. The IOC may feel that this is time enough to wait before another American games.
Despite the strength of the bids from Madrid and Tokyo, do not be surprised if Chicago wins.
If so there may be tears in Spain, Brazil and Japan, but that is to be expected, after all the name “Chicago” is a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, which means “wild onion,” and we all know what onions do to your eyes!
Reckon you are on the money, but would like to see Tokyo get it as its been so long since Japan hosted it. Mind you Brazil would be a great spectacle.