Paris 2012 Olympic bid
Encyclopedia
Paris 2012 was an unsuccessful bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games
to be held in Paris
. The bidding race was eventually won by the London 2012
bid after a 54-50 vote of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) on 6 July 2005. The French
capital's failure to win the 2012 games follows the attempts of the Paris 2008
and Paris 1992
bids.
region and France itself formed a public interest group called “Paris-Île-de-France 2012”. Chaired by Bertrand Delanoë
, Mayor of Paris, the group was responsible for supporting and promoting Paris' bid.
The national, regional, and local governments are all committed to funding the games, and the national government says that it will cover any shortfall the Paris OCOG experiences.
on an industrial wasteland belonging to the SNCF
.
and a Western core established around the Stade Roland Garros
. Sixteen additional venues (including 11 temporary ones) were to be constructed for the Games.
's decision to hold the 2012 Games
in London
was a massive blow to France due to this being Paris' third failed attempt to host the Olympic Games in the last twenty years.
Throughout Paris' 2012 bid, great emphasis was placed on France's love and passion for sport. Two previous failures to host the Games led many to believe that Paris had learnt from its mistakes and would produce a strong bid that would not be easily challenged. This remained the case throughout much of the process as Paris was almost always the favourite to win. However, the final decision was between London and Paris, the capitals of the United Kingdom
and France
, two nations with a history of rivalry. The decision of either Paris or London for 2012 would also be historic as either city would have become the first city to host the Olympic Games three times (London hosted the Games in 1908
and 1948
, whilst Paris played host in 1900
and 1924
). There was a huge outcry in Paris when the French capital was rejected yet again to host the Olympic Games. A sense of disbelief swept across crowds of French sports fans who had always remained confident that they would win.
It is as yet uncertain whether Paris will make future bids for the Olympic Games. The London 2012 Games means that it would be highly unlikely that Paris would host the Olympics for some time after 2012, due to Paris' close proximity to London, and that the Games would have been held in Europe twice in eight years (see: Athens 2004
). At a time when relations between the UK
and France
were at a particularly low point, due to conflicting views on the War in Iraq and differences on the future of the European Union
, the decision to host the 2012 Games was yet another element to sour British-French relations.
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
to be held in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The bidding race was eventually won by the London 2012
London 2012 Olympic bid
London 2012 was the successful bid for the 2012 Summer Games, to be held in London with most events taking place in Stratford, Newham. The British Olympic Association had been working on the bid since 1997...
bid after a 54-50 vote of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) on 6 July 2005. The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
capital's failure to win the 2012 games follows the attempts of the Paris 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
and Paris 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
bids.
The Paris 2012 Committee
The French National Olympic Committee , the city of Paris, the Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
region and France itself formed a public interest group called “Paris-Île-de-France 2012”. Chaired by Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, Mayor of Paris, the group was responsible for supporting and promoting Paris' bid.
International Olympic Committee evaluation report
The IOC gave the Paris 2012 bid almost universal praise, as shown in the following excerpt from their evaluation:- Paris has based its vision on the long-standing relationship between Olympism and France and has planned athlete-centered Games. Paris has committed to providing a legacy to the city, the region, French athletes and the community generally. The Olympic Village would provide a significant new housing opportunity for inner Paris. The Paralympic Games are well integrated into the planning of Paris 2012. Overall, the environmental actions are comprehensive, innovative and integrated throughout planning and operations, and would result in significant gains and legacies from the Games. The budget has been professionally prepared with great detail. Assumptions for the budget are well supported and documented. Paris has extensive, well maintained and operated metropolitan road and rail transport systems. Paris has a rich cultural heritage with regard to Olympism. The candidature file and the information provided to the Commission during its visit were of a very high quality.
Important dates
- 21 May 2003: Paris' Mayor, Bertrand Delanoë announces official candidature of Paris “Nous requérons l'honneur d'organiser les jeux olympiques de 2012. Nous sommes là pour gagner. [We seek the honour of organising the Olympic Games of 2012. We are here to win.]”
- November 2004: a large “pin' S” is installed on Eiffel TowerEiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
with the colours of Paris 2012. - 6 January 2005: several monuments and bridges of Paris are lit with the colours of the Olympic rings (green, yellow, red and blue) in honour of the Parisian candidacy: Palais BourbonPalais BourbonThe Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
which lodges the National AssemblyFrench National AssemblyThe French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
(left bank), Paris City HallHôtel de Ville, ParisThe Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
(right bank), the Eiffel TowerEiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
, and four bridges of the Seine Marie Bridge, Bridge of the Harmony, Michaelmas Bridge and footbridge Debilly) will display the logo of Paris 2012 until 6 July 2005. - 9 March to 12 March 2005: Paris is visited by the IOC Evaluation Commission
- 5 June 2005: Champs-ÉlyséesChamps-ÉlyséesThe Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
is transformed into a big sports ground. - 6 July 2005: Nomination of Candidature of the Olympic Games received by the 120 members of the IOC at a ceremony in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Dates
The Paris organizing committee proposed to hold the games from 27 July to 12 August 2012. These dates offer the most favorable climatic conditions for the athletes.Finance
Paris proposed that the organizing committee for the games (OCOG) would need US$2.65 billion to run and prepare for the games. Non-OCOG budgeting would include US$2.2 billion specifically for the games and another US$6 billion for general infrastructure enhancements over a longer period of time.The national, regional, and local governments are all committed to funding the games, and the national government says that it will cover any shortfall the Paris OCOG experiences.
The Olympic village
The goal was to place the 17,000 athletes and guides under the best conditions in the middle of the Games. The “one village, two cores” concept of the Paris 2012 bid would have placed the Olympic and Paralympic village in Paris only 6 kilometres from the two cores of competition venues that would have been used for 80% of the events. The "Olympic Ways", in the immediate vicinity, would have made it possible to guarantee the effectiveness and efficiency of transportation; according to the bid team, it would have taken less than ten minutes to reach either of the venue clusters. The village would have been placed in the north-west of Paris, in the 17th arrondissementXVIIe arrondissement
The 17th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France.-Geography:The land area of this arrondissement is 5.669 km2 The 17th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements (administrative districts) of the capital city of...
on an industrial wasteland belonging to the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
.
Venues
The venue concept for the Paris bid was focused around two principal clusters, a Northern core around the Stade de FranceStade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
and a Western core established around the Stade Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros
Le Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
. Sixteen additional venues (including 11 temporary ones) were to be constructed for the Games.
Northern Core
- Stade de FranceStade de FranceThe Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
- Aquatics center
- SuperDôme (for gymnastics)
- House 1
- House 2
- House 3
- House 4
- House 5
- House 6
Western Core
- Stade Roland GarrosStade Roland GarrosLe Stade de Roland Garros is a tennis venue located in Paris, France. It hosts the French Open tennis tournament , a Grand Slam event played annually in May and June. The facility was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup...
- Stade du Parc des PrincesParc des PrincesThe Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
- Stade Jean-BouinStade Jean-BouinStade Jean-Bouin is a multi-purpose stadium in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The facility, across the street from the much larger Parc des Princes, is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Stade Français. Through 2006, it hosted the annual Paris Sevens...
- Dome
- Hippodrome de LongchampHippodrome de LongchampThe Longchamp Racecourse is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes in the Bois de Boulogne at Paris, France. Built on the banks of the Seine River, it is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tracks and a famous hill that provides a real...
- Catelan Cross
- Hippodrome d'AuteuilAuteuil HippodromeThe Auteuil Hippodrome is a horse racing venue on Route des Lacs in Paris, France. The 33-hectare race course opened November 1, 1873...
- House 7
Other sites in Paris
- Eiffel TowerEiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
- Champ de MarsChamp de MarsThe Champ de Mars is a large public greenspace in Paris, France, located in the seventh arrondissement, between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. The park is named after the Campus Martius in Rome, a tribute to the Roman god of war...
- Palais Omnisports de Paris-BercyPalais Omnisports de Paris-BercyOpened in 1984, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, often abbreviated as POPB or Bercy, is an indoor sports arena on boulevard de Bercy located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris...
- Bases nautical the Vairy-on-Marne
- Cycle-racing track of Saint-Quentin-en-YvelinesSaint-Quentin-en-YvelinesSaint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is a new town in the French département of Yvelines. It is one of the original five villes nouvelles of Paris and was named after the Saint Quentin Pond, which was chosen to become the town's centre. The town was built from a greenfield site starting in the 1960s. In...
- Park of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
- Palace of VersaillesPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
- Centre of shooting of VersaillesVersaillesVersailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
- Sporting centre of Doves
Elsewhere in France
- Port of La RochelleLa RochelleLa Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
- Stade VélodromeStade VélodromeThe Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
in MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... - Stade GerlandStade GerlandThe Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...
in LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais.... - Stade de la BeaujoireStade de la BeaujoireThe Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club....
in NantesNantesNantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... - Stade Félix BollaertStade Félix BollaertStade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1932. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,233 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity...
in LensLens, Pas-de-CalaisLens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
Previous bids
It is the third time in recent years that Paris has sought hosting rights for the Olympic Games.- In 1986, BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
was chosen to host the 1992 Games1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
; France was however subsequently selected to organise the 1992 Winter Games1992 Winter OlympicsThe 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
at AlbertvilleAlbertvilleAlbertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
. - In 2001, BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
was selected for the 2008 Games2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
; Paris finished 3rd behind Beijing and TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, (CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
).
Future Bids
The IOCInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
's decision to hold the 2012 Games
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was a massive blow to France due to this being Paris' third failed attempt to host the Olympic Games in the last twenty years.
Throughout Paris' 2012 bid, great emphasis was placed on France's love and passion for sport. Two previous failures to host the Games led many to believe that Paris had learnt from its mistakes and would produce a strong bid that would not be easily challenged. This remained the case throughout much of the process as Paris was almost always the favourite to win. However, the final decision was between London and Paris, the capitals of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, two nations with a history of rivalry. The decision of either Paris or London for 2012 would also be historic as either city would have become the first city to host the Olympic Games three times (London hosted the Games in 1908
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
and 1948
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, whilst Paris played host in 1900
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
and 1924
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
). There was a huge outcry in Paris when the French capital was rejected yet again to host the Olympic Games. A sense of disbelief swept across crowds of French sports fans who had always remained confident that they would win.
It is as yet uncertain whether Paris will make future bids for the Olympic Games. The London 2012 Games means that it would be highly unlikely that Paris would host the Olympics for some time after 2012, due to Paris' close proximity to London, and that the Games would have been held in Europe twice in eight years (see: Athens 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
). At a time when relations between the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
were at a particularly low point, due to conflicting views on the War in Iraq and differences on the future of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, the decision to host the 2012 Games was yet another element to sour British-French relations.