Moscow made its official bid to the International Olympic Committee, yesterday, to rival New York City, London, Madrid and Paris.
"An endeavour like that has never come up throughout modern Olympic history. Moscow is undertaking to host all events, football elimination games and a yacht regatta included. Olympics have never before been held within one city," the Mayor said at a gala reception for foreign diplomats accredited in Russia.
Athletes will not need to leave Moscow and its environs to compete, and guests to watch, what with this unprecedented arrangement. No other bidder has for now offered anything to match, pointed out the Mayor.
All necessary sport facilities will be along the Moskva River, which will turn into a principal transport route to link sport grounds with the Olympic Village. The geography will cope with the main Olympic organisation task - to make the projects as compact as possible, Mr. Luzhkov went on.
Even at present, Moscow can offer 80 per cent or more of facilities necessary to host the 2012 Olympics.
The Olympic Village will be situated in the city northwest, a ten minutes' car ride off the Luzhniki sport centre, Moscow's principal, which will host the opening and closing pageants. Up to 80 hectares will be allotted to the Village, with comfortable accommodations for the contestants, trainers and officials-enough to hold more than 20,000 lodgers.
Moscow vouches safety to all athletes and fans. "We reassure the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic community that Moscow will fully cope with its pledges to guarantee competitors' and guests' safety during the 2012 Olympics. These are firm and explicit guarantees," reassured the Mayor.
Moscow intends to launch, in 2007-09, the world's first children's and junior paralympic games, he added.
As Moscow sets up a top-notch athletic infrastructure for 2012, it will possess all facilities to arrange the best-ever Parolympics, said Mr. Luzhkov-and aptly reminded to the gathering that the city hosted the world's first world children's and youth games, 1998.
Before 2010, Moscow will complete fifteen major Olympic projects. Prominent among them will be Spartak and TsSKA football stadiums, to seat 50,000 each; and a sport centre in Tushino, complete with a baseball stadium to seat 25,000, a field-and-track stadium, and a swimming pool to seat 15,000, the Mayor proudly related.
Today, Yuri Luzhkov gave start to a global on-line public vote on Moscow's Olympic 2012 bid.
