Press Release | Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid, Madrid Olympic Blueprint Unveiled
16 January 2008 - An Olympic plan which will unleash “intense and powerful social regeneration” has been unveiled by the Madrid 2016 bid team.
The Madrid 2016 formal questionnaire, submitted to the IOC, says an Olympics in the Spanish capital will be The Games of the People.
The questionnaire is part of the formal process towards a final decision next year.
The Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón said the Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic bid would create a fivefold “precious legacy.”
Society – with new education and sanitary programs
Sports – with new facilities for all.
Economy – attracting more tourism and more commercial opportunities
Environment – with new parks and bicycle-riding infrastructures
Culture - improving and promoting the new technologies and creative opportunities
“The benefits of this regeneration will last for future generations,” said Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón, “the Madrid Government will work to ensure that citizens can feel themselves really involved in this beautiful universal adventure”
The slogan for the Madrid bid is “Feel the experience. It’s in your hands”, and the Mayor explained: “We want these Games to be the Games of the People, the Games that involve every citizen. This citizen participation will be shown in our top quality sports infrastructures and in every activity related to the Olympic bid and the Games themselves”.
Physical and social renovation
The questionnaire, handed yesterday by Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee located in Lausanne, answers a total of 25 questions concerning the applicant city’s project and they will be further explained in a longer dossier. In any case, these answers already outline the profile of what Madrid wants to be a crucial event in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The human approach of the Games concerns every citizen, as Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón, insisted, “will add a pledge on the social and physical renovation of the city through a thorough design of the infrastructures, both the old and the new ones”. That is the reason why the project is divided into two different areas: the East side of the city, containing 15 sports areas for competition, will be the “heart” of the Games and the West side of the city, that will be located along the river and around the environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Games.
The Mayor also said that “this compact design that will allow 25 out of the 30 sports areas for competition in Madrid to be located in less than 12 kilometres from the city centre, will also allow a quick and effective transport of the Olympic family, the audience and the journalists. The transport will also be clean because we will give a top and important priority to the air quality and the environment in order to achive Olympic and Paralympic Games that will be free of private vehicles”.
“In fact, Madrid is proving that the financial development, the social integration and the environmental protection are compatible objectives, and those are the reasons why we are starting from a good base in that aspect”, he added. Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also reminded that there is a park 10 minutes far from every citizen home, that the river is regaining its importance and that the refuse collection for recycling and the air quality of Madrid obey the European requirements.
Madrid has also a Local Strategy Plan in order to improve the air quality (Estrategia Local del Aire 2006-2010), which includes a limitation in the city traffic and an even stronger promotion on using the public transport. The Games will also bring Madrid new parks and green spaces out of a 780 hectares-degraded area so the citizens can practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and coexistence.
Guarantee of Success
Mr. Ruiz-Gallardón also mentioned other reasons that guarantee the success of the Games in the capital of Spain. He mentioned the hotel infrastructure, which will offer a total of 80.000 rooms in 2016, more of half of them being 4 and 5 stars hotels. He also mentioned that Madrid has one of the most modern and complete transport networks in the world.
The Mayor specially outlined two ideas. First, the experience in organizing high level sport competitions, both national and international, and second, the unanimous institutional and popular support (86 % of the Madrid citizens and 89% of the Spanish people back the Olympic bid).
Finally, Ruiz-Gallardón concluded that “the citizens of Madrid and the visitors will be part of a sole and unique Olympic city with extra educational programs and everybody will share an exceptional experience that will remain in the hearts and memories of everybody for lots of years”, as the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid has assured the IOC.
Note to editors
The main points of the bid are:
The Madrid 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games would unleash an intense and powerful social regeneration process in the Spanish capital.
The effects of this regeneration, as the Mayor says: “are going to be noticed from about the middle of this year to and during the next generations.”
The legacy is going to be focused in five major aspects: society, sports, economics, environment and culture.
The East side of the city is the “heart” of the Games, containing 15 sport areas for competition. The West side of the city, along the river and its environmental regeneration project, will represent the “lungs” of the Olympic city.
25 out of 30 sports areas for competition in Madrid will be located in less than 12 kilometres from the city centre in order to allow a quick, effective and clean transport of the Olympic family.
A 780 hectares-degraded area will be transformed in green spaces and parks where people will be able to practice sport or spend their leisure time there, as well as allowing the intercultural exchange and co- existence.
Malcolm Munro
Director, Media & Strategy
good relations
26 Southampton Buildings
London WC2A 1PQ
(t) +44 207 861 3217
(f) + 44 207 861 3131
(m) 07795013006
(e) mmunro@goodrelations.co.uk
(w) www.goodrelations.co.uk
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1 opinion for Press Release | Madrid 2016 Olympic Bid, Madrid Olympic Blueprint Unveiled
ivan gary
Jan 26, 2008 at 6:36 pm
As an Olympian and a person of colour who has competed in the 1992 Oly and participated in many Athletics events in Spain, I can safely state that Madrid is most unsuitable for the 2016 games given the city’s and country’s track record on dealing with athletes of colour. The recent UEFA football fines are proof.
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