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With the exception of London, the other bid
cities have remained tight-lipped about the stars, sporting
celebrities and Olympic champions who are heading to Singapore
for the 117th IOC Session from 6-9 July 2005.
From
L to R: Redgrave, Lewis and Charlton - AFP Photo |
London announced that English football captain
David Beckham, former Olympic champions Steve Redgrave and
Denise Lewis, and football legend Bobby Charlton, among other
big names, will be in town to lobby for votes.
The English capital feels its "eagerness
to communicate their plans quickly and effectively was vital"
but it might have revealed too much, too soon.
New York brought out its biggest hitter so far
in the campaign for the 2012 Olympics when it announced that
boxing legend and former Olympic gold medallist Muhammad Ali
will be part of the New York delegation in Singapore.
That will certainly give some punch to their
campaign.
Maybe with that, the other cities will start
revealing their trump cards.
London
AFP
Photo |
London 2012 will be an Olympics run by athletes
for athletes. So expect English football captain David
Beckham (left) as well as England manager Sven-Goran
Eriksson, football legend Bobby Charlton and
former Olympic champions Jonathan Edwards, Steve
Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Denise Lewis,
Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson.
Said Thompson,"It would fantastic to host
the 2012 Games in London and I hope you'll join me in getting
behind the bid."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and
Princess Anne, who is one of Britain's IOC members, will
be in Singapore.
Supporters: Nelson Mandela, Sven-Goran Eriksson,
Cathy Freeman, Elton John and Mick Jagger, Patrick Stewart,
Ian McKellen, Elizabeth Hurley, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Mourhino
Madrid
Eleven Spanish sportsmen and women will be part
of the Spanish delegation that will travel to Singapore.
AFP
Photo |
Sporting ambassadors include Spain and Real
Madrid striker Raúl González (left),
Memphis Grizzlies NBA player Pau Gasol, as well as
five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin.
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (tennis),
Blanca Fernández Ochoa (ski), Manel Estiarte
(waterpolo), Manuel Santana (tennis), Mercedes
Coghen (hockey), Fermín Cacho (athletics),
Gema Hassen-Bey (fencing) and Beatriz Ferrer Salat
(equestrian) form the rest of the "de luxe presentation".
Queen Sofía and Prime
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will head the Spanish
delegation.
Supporters: Raul González, Miguel Indurain,
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Juan Antonio Samaranch
New York
AFP
Photo |
The already tight race to host the 2012 Olympics
got tighter after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced
that Muhammad Ali will travel to Singapore as a member
of the city's delegation for the 117th IOC Session.
The former Olympic champion also provided one
of the Olympics' most memorable moments when he lit the torch
at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
"When I look back and remember my greatest,
most exciting moments as a boxer, competing in New York and
competing in the Olympics are at the top of that list.
"To bring them together and hold the Games
in New York City would be unforgettable for everyone involved,
including myself," said Ali.
He will be joined by Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
heptathlete champion in 1988 and 1992, Australia's swim star
Ian Thorpe, Romania's 1976 Olympic gymnast star Nadia
Comaneci, US swimming great Janet Evans and long
jumper Bob Beamon.
Supporters: Billy Crystal, Conan O'Brien, Jerry
Seinfeld, Lance Armstrong, Bob Beamon, Steven Spielberg, Whoopi
Goldberg, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton
Paris
AFP
Photo |
Despite being branded the favourites, Paris
wants to focus on its bid for the 2012 Olympics, refusing
to reveal names on who's heading to Singapore.
"It is not our style to announce the supporters
that will be in Singapore to push for Paris," said 2012
IOC bid leader Philippe Baudillon.
"We need to concentrate on working hard
to get our bid to be the best. What and who you will see in
Singapore is what you will get."
Nevertheless, we can expect to see French
President Jacques Chirac, French movie director Luc
Besson (left) and NBA star Tony Parker
in Singapore.
Besson directed a film promoting the Paris
bid for the 2012 Olympics. The clip will be presented to the
International Olympic Committee on 6 July.
Supporters: Thierry Henry, Luc Besson, Tony
Parker, Zinedine Zidane, Jacques Chirac, Celine Dion, Tony
Parker
Moscow
AFP
Photo |
Russia is sending a "winning team"
to Singapore. Over 100 athletes, many of which are Olympic
champions from previous Games, have chosen to become Olympic
Ambassadors for Moscow’s bid to host the Games.
Four-time Olympic swimming champion Alexander
Popov, who is one of the Russian Federation's IOC
members, will be joined by Dmitry Svatkovsky (modern
pentathlon), Evgeny Kafelnikov (tennis), Alexey
Nemov (gymnastics), Larissa Latynina (gymnastics),
Alina Kabaeva (gymnastics), Irina Rodnina (figure
skating), Oleg Saitov (boxing), and Alexander Timoshinin
(rowing). Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov will also
join the Moscow delegation.
Supporters: Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Maria Sharapova, Boris Yeltsin,
Alexander Popov, Marat Safin
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