The Big Question: Who Will Host the
Paralympics in 2008?
Tension is already building up in the Games bid process for 2008. Five cities--Beijing
(China), Istanbul (Turkey), Osaka (Japan), Paris (France) and Toronto (Canada)--are on the
candidature list in the bid to host the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Committee evaluated applications from
ten cities for the 2008 Games. Five of the ten applicants did not meet the IOC criteria
and will not be included in the list of candidature cities: Bangkok (Thailand), Cairo
(Egypt), Havana (Cuba), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Seville (Spain).
In March 2001, the IOC leadership will have another opportunity to limit the field of
candidates. The final decision about the host city for the 2008 Games will be made in July
2001 at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, Russia.
For the first time, the bidding process for the Paralympic Games has been covered in the
bidding documents of the International Olympic Committee for the 2008 Games. The documents
outline the requirements of the Paralympic Games, and the bidding cities will have to
answer specific questions about their capability of hosting the Paralympics, in addition
to the Olympics.
This policy underlines the tighter linkages between the Olympics and the Paralympics that
have developed in recent years. In December 1999, the IOC adopted a reform recommendation,
which states that the Paralympic Games must be organized in the same city as the Olympic
Games. Under the terms of the host city contract, the host city is obliged to organize the
Paralympic Games following the Olympic Games.
As the Paralympic Games are hosted in the same city as the Olympic Games, the
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) adopts the decision of the IOC Executive
Committee on the candidature cities. The IPC has a representative in both the IOC
evaluation commission for candidature cities and in the coordination commission, which
liaises with Games Organizing Committees. |
 
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