2010 Vote: Vancouver 56 Pyeongchang 53

[Drake Tungsten]

Europe voted for Canada ( cynics say to help derail the New York 2012 summer bid in favor of bids from London and Paris.)

They better not give the 2012 games to London or Paris. Both cities have already hosted the Olympics, twice.

[Loif]

Way to go Vancouver! I'll be there!

[The Vagabond]

The French vote in Vancouver's favor was definitely a fraud. Besides, they fraudulently "convinced" a couple of their African clients to vote for Vancouver. If these votes are excluded as they should be, the IOC has no choice but to give the games to two cities simultaneously: Vancouver and Pyeongchang. Well, to do it right, Vancouver should be completely excluded. But, hell, it has been already announced, and the people of Vancouver are not guilty of the fraud. So to give it to both cities would be a resonable and humane compromise. After all, precedent already exists.

Europe voted for Canada ( cynics say to help derail the New York 2012 summer bid in favor of bids from London and Paris.)

Of course, Canada will now vote for Paris.








P.S. Congrats, Vancouver Prepare your ass to be kicked in hockey.

[Q Classic]

The politics is doubly interesting as I inderstand that the Korean host city has very few of the needed facilities and also has a population of only 47,000.

nobody knows better how to throw money away on sports facilities like the asians.
world cup 2002... did we need that many venues? no. but we built them anyway!
with govenrment money, no less. so pyeongchang would have gotten the facilities, no matter what.

The Koreans also dangled possible reunification with the north as part of their presentation-- they had a heartwrenching clip of a mother that has not seen her son since the division of the country.

shameless manipulation. almost worked.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Flubber
According to the Globe and Mail, Canada got ZERO votes from Asian, Latin American and African nations ( I am curious why these countries would get votes for a WINTER games ) so the vote broke down on developmental lines-- Europe voted for Canada ( cynics say to help derail the New York 2012 summer bid in favor of bids from London and Paris.)

You don't think a number of these countries have winter sports? It seems that Siberia is quite cold sometimes. Besides, doesn't Jamaica got a bobsled team?

[*End Is Forever*]

They better not give the 2012 games to London or Paris. Both cities have already hosted the Olympics, twice.

That's a bit harsh. It's probably more to do with the IOC seemingly looking down on bids from British and French cities outside of their capitals (see Manchester's bids in the recent past)...

Fairer comparison; Britain last hosted the Games in 1948, France in 1924! Since Britain last hosted the Games the USA has hosted two summer Games and three winter Games, whilst by the time 2012 comes around "North America" (ie USA and Canada) will have hosted three summer games and five winter games!

[RedFred]

Originally posted by Flubber
According to the Globe and Mail, Canada got ZERO votes from Asian, Latin American and African nations ( I am curious why these countries would get votes for a WINTER games ) so the vote broke down on developmental lines-- Europe voted for Canada ( cynics say to help derail the New York 2012 summer bid in favor of bids from London and Paris.)

I don't trust the Globe on this one. Wasn't it a secret ballot? Certainly China for one was publicly supporting the Vancouver bid.

It is nice that they allow Africa and Latin America to compete in the Winter games when they have no winter. Nevertheless, it doesn't seem reasonable to me, either, that their votes carry so much weight.

[Drake Tungsten]

It's probably more to do with the IOC seemingly looking down on bids from British and French cities outside of their capitals (see Manchester's bids in the recent past)...

I have no problem with seeing Manchester have the Olympics. I just don't want to see London or Paris get a third crack at the games when New York hasn't had them once. Let's try to spread the wealth a little bit.

[optimus2861]

Originally posted by The Vagabond
The French vote in Vancouver's favor was definitely a fraud. Besides, they fraudulently "convinced" a couple of their African clients to vote for Vancouver. If these votes are excluded as they should be, the IOC has no choice but to give the games to two cities simultaneously: Vancouver and Pyeongchang. Well, to do it right, Vancouver should be completely excluded. But, hell, it has been already announced, and the people of Vancouver are not guilty of the fraud. So to give it to both cities would be a resonable and humane compromise. After all, precedent already exists.

Sarcasm or bitterness?

[*End Is Forever*]

I have no problem with seeing Manchester have the Olympics. I just don't want to see London or Paris get a third crack at the games when New York hasn't had them once. Let's try to spread the wealth a little bit.

I think it's a little unfair to deprive, say, modern-day Parisians of the chance to hold the Games simply because they held them back in 1924, before 99% of them were even born.

As for Manchester, the IOC has made it implicitly clear that any British games would have to be held in London. I imagine a similar view of France/Paris holds sway as well. As far as Britain goes, it's London or bust.

[Drake Tungsten]

I think it's a little unfair to deprive, say, modern-day Parisians of the chance to hold the Games simply because they held them back in 1924, before 99% of them were even born.

Why? No citizen has a right to see the Olympic Games in their city. Who cares if modern Parisians have never had a game in Paris in their lifetime when many other great cities around the world have never had the games at all? I personally think they should make cities wait at least a century between Olympics, thereby ensuring that as many cities as possible get the games.

[marcuspeddle]

I'm surprised Pyeongchang got as many votes as it did. I translated a letter from a provincial minister of education to be sent to the president of the IOC and I couldn't stop gagging all the way through. It was actually a bit disturbing because this guy thought that with the Olympics in Korea there was going to be instant peace on the peninsula and from there the "peaceful spirit of the Korean people" would spread across the Eurasian continent (via the newly connected railroad between North and South Korea) and bring prosperity to everyone. He also said he is praying to God to let the Olympics be held in Korea. God has a vote?

I live near Pyeongchang and I can tell you I was certainly glad when they lost. The World Cup games turned everyone into raving nationalists and foreigners were often cursed at and shouted at in the streets and bars. Not everywhere, of course, but I experienced it myself enough. I stayed inside a lot during the games. I wouldn't want to go through it again.

This province is one of the last clean places in the country and having the Olympics here would turn it into a trashpit like so many other tourist areas. Developers! Please stay away!

This concludes my rant.

[RedFred]

I wonder if that part of S. Korea has enough vertical for a decent downhill run. I am looking at a topo map which suggests otherwise. I know it was a big problem at the Lake Placid games.

It makes no sense that the summer games must be held in London if in the UK or Paris if in France. Why not someplace else? The US or Canada don't face the same restrictions. Although in the days of the Montreal Olympics iirc both Montreal and Toronto were approximately equal in populations.

[Q Classic]

I wonder if that part of S. Korea has enough vertical for a decent downhill run. I am looking at a topo map which suggests otherwise. I know it was a big problem at the Lake Placid games.

maybe not there, but there are enough mountains there to make something. that's why most of the population is crammed into the western coastal plain--bad news if the sea level rises.