As US legislators launched a campaign to scupper China's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games Toronto's Olympic bid organisers could hardly contain their enthusiasm yesterday after getting a positive assessment by a visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation team.
The US resolution is harshly critical of Beijing's "brutal" human rights record. The nonbinding resolution, to be introduced in the House of Representatives, calls on IOC members to withold the Games to punish China's "deteriorating" human rights performance.
"While the Olympics are first and foremost about sports, human rights are also central to the Olympic ideal," said a statement issued by the Congressional Human Rights caucus.
"The Olympic charter makes clear that "Olympism" includes `respect for universal fundamental ethical principles' . . . the People's Republic of China is unworthy to host the Olympics," said the statement.
The bipartisan caucus said that awarding the 2008 Games to Beijing would sully the Olympic movement. China should not be given the Games until it frees all political prisoners, and observes internationally recognised human rights standards, says the resolution co-sponsored by California congressmen Christopher Cox, a Republican, and Democrat Tom Lantos.
The IOC will vote in July on the venue for the 2008 Games, and Beijing, thought by many observers to be the favourite, faces stiff competition from Osaka, Toronto, Istanbul and Paris.
Meanwhile John Bitove, president and CEO of Toronto's bid committee, holding a yellow coffee cup decorated with a huge smiley face, said: "We feel like Olga Korbut when she nailed the first 10 in gymnastics. "But all five cities can nail a perfect 10" on technical assessment, he said, cautioning that all the candidate cities for the 2008 Olympics - Beijing, Osaka, Istanbul and Paris - are formidable competitors and the race is far from over.
British Olympic chiefs are planning a bid for London to stage the 2012 Summer Games.
The British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed yesterday they would be meeting the government and the Greater London Authority (GLA) with a view to organising a bid.
A spokesperson for the BOA said: "We have presented the prospect of London staging the Games to government and the GLA. The response has been positive. The government and the GLA are vital components in moving a potential bid along.
"We would need their support and backing to go ahead, while the final decision to sanction a bid would rest with the government.
"We will have to look at aspects like the cost of hosting the Games and the venues used.
"But we can confirm that Wembley would not be used as the main Olympic stadium."
A decision on the venue of the 2012 Games will be made by the IOC in 2005. London is likely to face serious opposition from Paris.
South Korea's powerful IOC executive board member Kim Un Yong is poised to join the battle to replace outgoing IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch. The 70-year-old will declare his candidature in Monte Carlo later this month. "It is 99.9 per cent certain he will announce his candidature on March 28th," said a spokesperson. So far only two IOC members have declared their intention to stand in the July election - America's Anita DeFrantz and Hungary's Pal Schmitt - but Belgium's Jacques Rogge is expected to throw his hat into the ring within the next few weeks.
Canada's Dick Pound is also expected to join the fray. All candidates have until April 10th to announce.
