The 2016 Olympic Vote In Denmark: Latest Controversies

by Yuliya Talmazan | September 30, 2009 at 03:04 pm

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The vote to determine the Olympic capital of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games is taking place October 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark, but a slew of controversies is already plaguing the upcoming vote.

First, senior officials in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made a comment that the practice of national leaders lobbying to support their bids will soon end.

“I think it will play well for a while,” Easton, a U.S. delegate to the IOC since 1994, told The Associated Press. “I don’t know how many (host city) votes it will play well with before it becomes expected. Then you need a superstar like Tony Blair to move audiences.”

This time around, all four contending cities will have their national leaders coming to Copenhagen to support the bids. Even President Obama who earlier stated that he won't be coming to Denmark to support Chicago's bid conceded to travel to Copenhangen to put his word in for the city.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said in a recent interview that heads of state had no obligation to attend.

“They have an influence by their charisma, but it is not something the IOC is seeking and going after,” Rogge said.

Secondly, the team behind Rio-de-Janeiro 2016 bid filed a formal complaint against the Spanish bid team for making an open comment against their city.

Spanish Olympic Committee vice president Jose Maria Odriozola reportedly called Rio "the worst bid'' of the four candidates.

Rio bid organizers said the criticism was "totally unacceptable.''

Finally, Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara said the 2016 could be the last Olympic Games given the seriousness of the global warming problem.

"It could be that the 2016 Games are the last Olympics in the history of mankind," Ishihara told reporters at a Tokyo 2016 press event ahead of the vote.

"Global warming is getting worse. We have to come up with measures without which Olympic Games could not last long.

"Scientists have said we have passed the point of no return," said Ishihara.