From London, Inas Mazhar writes on a show that must go on The dramatic announcement made in Singapore last week by IOC President Jacques Rogge that London had landed the right to host the 2012 Games may have begun the festivities for Londoners -- cut so briefly by the bombings less than 24 hours later -- but it not mean the end of the IOC's work. The 2012 London Olympics, it was decided, will have only 26 sports after baseball and softball were axed from the programme. They are the first sports to be cut from the Games in 69 years and it means Regents Park, which was due to host them, will no longer be a 2012 venue. The 117th IOC session in Singapore voted to include 26 of the 28 current Olympic sports on the programme of the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012. The session decided that baseball and softball will remain on the list of Olympic sports as noted in the Olympic Charter, rule 46, but will not be on the programme for 2012. The two sports are, however, eligible for inclusion in the programme of the 2016 Games. Squash and karate were initially nominated as their replacements but neither polled enough IOC member votes to win a place at the Games. Rugby union sevens, golf and roller skating were also in the running. International Olympic Committee members went through seven rounds of voting to decide which two of the five sports should be put up for a vote to give them Olympic status. Squash and karate were chosen, but not enough of the IOC members wanted them to be included which means the earliest they can now be introduced into the Games is 2016. Londoners are more concerned with the present 2005. They are still in limbo, over the moon one day because of their Olympic triumph, but shell-shocked just a day later following the bombings. London was one big party -- in every square, pub, restaurant and park -- the day before the tragedy. News of London's victory delighted flag-waving supporters who had gathered in Trafalgar Square and Stratford in the East End of London, where the new Olympic park will be built. At the same time, rain drops began falling on disappointed Parisians outside the Hotel de Ville in the French capital shortly after the result. London won a two-way fight with Paris by 54 votes to 50 at the IOC meeting in Singapore, after bids from Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated. It will be the third time the Olympics are held in London but the first since 1948. Paris had been favourites throughout the campaign but London's hopes were raised after an impressive presentation by Lord Coe, the bid chairman. After the announcement Lord Coe called it "the most fantastic opportunity to do everything we have ever dreamed of in British sport." Queen Elizabeth sent a message to Coe saying: "I send my warmest congratulations to you and every member of the London 2012 team for winning the bid for the UK. It's a really outstanding achievement to beat such a highly competitive field." Englishmen believe that Prime Minister Tony Blair had helped London's late momentum with a three-day visit to Singapore before the day of the announcement, where he met over 50 IOC officials in just 48 hours, for final lobbying. French President Jacques Chirac, in contrast, arrived only on the eve of the announcement which French media thought was too late for lobbying purposes. Both Blair and Chirac flew to Scotland before the announcement was made to catch up with the G8 summit in Scotland. Once attention moved to Singapore, the bidding cities called on political and sporting heavyweights to champion their causes. In Singapore, all five bidding cities gave final 45-minute presentations to the IOC members before the vote began. Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated from the race in the first, second and third rounds of voting. The final round of voting finished, the committee reconvened 45 minutes later for the official announcement. Rogge revealed the winner after a nerve-wracking wait. An hour after the decision, London's bid leaders were greeted by warm applause as they signed the official contract to stage the Games. Paris was considered the front-runner for much of the campaign, and was highly rated in the initial evaluation and also by the inspectors after their visits earlier in the year. But it was widely recognised that bid leader Lord Coe, a high-profile personality within the IOC and other governing bodies, hauled London closer as the vote approached. Madrid was seen as a consistent but not outstanding candidate, while New York's bid was dogged by problems over their proposed stadium, and Moscow was always seen as the rank outsider. "I'm very happy to see the Olympic movement in such a good state as demonstrated by the success of the Athens Games, the increases in revenue across the board and the high quality of the candidacy process for 2012," Rogge said following the close of the meetings of the 117th session in Singapore on Saturday. "Our recent market research statistics show that Olympic values are recognised and understood throughout the world and that the Olympic Games are more than ever the world's most popular sporting event. Our job as the guardians of the Olympic Games and the values they stand for is to work to ensure they remain of excellent quality and an inspiration for the youth of tomorrow."
