MOSCOW, May 20 (RIA Novosti) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gas praised the concept proposed by Moscow for its 2012 Olympics bid, Vice Mayor Valery Shantsev said during a press tour of the Moskva River Thursday. The concept is an innovative one as it suggests that all the Olympic events that year be held within the boundaries of one city.
On May 18, the IOC Executive Committee included Moscow in the short list of candidates bidding to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Other cities on the list are Paris, London, Madrid and New York. The winner will be announced in July 2005, when the IOC gathers for a session in Singapore.
In the Vice Mayor's view, the Russian capital stands a good chance of winning. Moscow is a vibrantly developing city with modern infrastructure; its residents are generally fond of sports, with many of them taking part in sporting competitions, Shantsev said. Also, the city has experience in hosting Olympic Games as it played host to the 1980 Olympics, he added.
