Madrid defends its Olympic candidacy despite economic crisis

By Sebastian Fest Sep 22, 2011, 14:57 GMT

Madrid - Spain's economic crisis Thursday emerged as the main enemy of Alejandro Blanco, who was presented as the head of Madrid's candidacy to stage the 2020 Olympic Games.

'The current moments are the most adverse in a long time,' Blanco admitted during a breakfast with media representatives. However, 'next to a difficulty, there is always an opportunity,' he said.

Madrid is seeking to host the Olympics for the fourth time. It bid for the games of 1972, 2012 and 2016, with a good performance on the last two bids. The current bid, however, is difficult for a country many of whose citizens find it a luxury while Spain is undergoing a serious economic crisis.

Blanco, who is the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), described sports as 'the main factor of cohesion and of Spanishness,' saying it could help the economy.

Spain entered recession in the end of 2008 and exited it in early 2010. However, the country still has an unemployment rate of nearly 21 per cent - the highest in the European Union - and growth remains slow.

Blanco admitted that Madrid and Rome - another candidate - face criticism because of their fragile economies.

'If there is criticism, it concerns the economic situation in Italy and Spain. But we are talking about investments, not spending,' he stressed.

Blanco called for more economic support for Madrid's candidacy, which needs an adequate budget if it wants to win the race.

'If we have half of the budget and we win, I request to be appointed economy minister,' Blanco said on being asked if it was true that Madrid's 2020 candidacy would only have half the budget of the 2016 candidacy.

Blanco, who was appointed head of the candidacy two weeks ago, appealed to large companies to help finance it.

'We need a sponsorship law. Companies which invest in sport should get better tax treatment,' he proposed.

Concerning the campaign of a city which came third in the election in Singapore in 2005 and second in that of Copenhagen in 2009, Blanco admitted Madrid needed to 'break the ceiling of the 32 votes' it obtained on both occasions.

He said he was not worried about Istanbul or Doha having the advantage of presenting 'new territories,' which the IOC clearly likes after the choices of Sochi 2014, Rio 2016 and Pyeongchang 2018.

'If you worry about the opposite, you have already lost,' he said. 'People talk about new territories, about 'Lulas' (referring to Brazil and its former president)... I say that for 2016 the first city that was dropped was Chicago, and the US president was the world's top leader at the time.'

Doping cases like those of Alberto Contador do not help Spain, said Blanco, who nevertheless defended the cyclist.

'There are cases that reach a global dimension that have harmed us,' he admitted. 'But hopefully on November 22 and 23 the sports arbitration court will resolve this very complicated medical case. If he is guilty, two years of sanctions and two more for having deceived us. But, in the meantime, let's defend the athletes.'

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