Five stars

---

Click to view caption

The Jordan Formula One team in Moscow

Madrid, London, Paris, New York and Moscow are currently battling for the right to host the Olympic Games in 2012. Starting today and up until the announcement of the results on 9 July, Al-Ahram Weekly will give periodic updates on the latest news of the five bidding cities, as provided by the candidates themselves

Paris aces

Paris 2012 says it has three trump cards, the first being the support of the country's political, sports and business leaders, including French President Jacques Chirac. The bid has received unparalleled public support , with 92 per cent of the French public believing that the Games will benefit the nation, according to a TNS Sofres opinion poll.

The second advantage lies in Paris' formidable existing Olympic assets. The city already has 100 per cent of the accommodations and 95 per cent of the public transport and Olympic lanes necessary to service the Games in 2012. In addition, two-thirds of the proposed sports venues are in place including the iconic Stade de France and Roland Garros.

A third strong suit behind the bid lies in Paris 2012's sustainable Olympic legacy, facilitated by the substantial amounts of capital investment freed up by the extensive use of existing Olympic assets. This means that Paris is prepared to construct exciting new sports venues, including the Aquatics Centre, the Velodrome, Superdome and the Shooting Centre, which will be of lasting benefit to the nation.

The Olympic village will stimulate major urban regeneration of the Batignolles district, transforming one of Paris' last underdeveloped urban areas into a thriving, cosmopolitan residential and commercial district which will become "The Olympic Quarter" after the Games.

In places where long-term utilisation of Olympic structures cannot be foreseen, Paris 2012 will erect temporary facilities that will be dismantled after the Games.

Intangible assets include the invaluable experience gained from two previous Olympic bids in the last decade together with the expertise of hosting 24 world championships, including the 1998 World Cup and the 2003 IAAF World Championships.

The total cost of the Paris Games is estimated at 4.1 billion euros .

Moscow's formula

The Jordan Formula One team has said it will support Moscow's bid after unveiling the team and its latest racing car in Red Square earlier this week.

Acquired by the Russian-led Midland Group in January 2005, the Jordan team will compete with a car decorated with the Moscow 2012 logo.

Alexander Radunsky, Midland Group managing partner, expressed confidence in Moscow as the ideal choice to host the Games. "The Moscow 2012 bid has my full support. The 'Imagine it Now!' slogan rings true to me and I firmly believe that the dream is also likely to come true very soon for all Muscovites and Russians."

Alexander Chernopv, general manager of the Moscow 2012 bid committee, echoed the same belief, adding, "We are proud to be supported by such a high-profile partner and we wish them all the best in their 2005 season. This is a great example of the level of endorsement our bid received and will continue to receive until the IOC selection of a host city in July."

The announcement of the Jordan Formula One team's support comes prior to a visit to Moscow by an IOC evaluation commission from 14 to 17 March.