New York got to pitch its Olympic bid yesterday directly to organizers of the 2012 Games gathered in Ghana, promising to welcome fans from Africa “like no other city can.”
The strict 10-minute time limit allotted each of the five finalist cities was so short that Mayor Bloomberg – who led New York’s delegation – didn’t get a chance to make a presentation.
That task was left to Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff, the city’s point man on the Olympics, former Mayor David Dinkins, and Congo-born NBA star Dikembe Mutombo.
“I think we got our main message across, that New York is a place that will welcome athletes, teams, fans from Africa, like no other city can,” Doctoroff said in an interview.
“We showed how New York will celebrate Africans and African athletes.”
Bloomberg had plenty of time to gladhand and to size up the competition.
He chatted with the mayors of Paris and Madrid, as well as the deputy mayor of Moscow. London’s mayor didn’t attend, but its bid chairman did – famed Olympian Sebastian Coe.
About 20 of the 115 voting members of the International Olympic Committee were on hand at the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa meeting.
The entire IOC is scheduled to select the winner on July 6 in Singapore.
Paris is regarded as the heavy favorite, and its officials emphasized the longstanding relationship between France and Africa in their presentation.