Get Friendly on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe by RSS
- Image via Wikipedia
The Associated Press is reporting this morning that South Africa could be considering a bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
Danny Jordaan, 2010 FIFA World Cup LOC head, speaking after a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York yesterday is quoted as saying “The IOC decided to give South America its first Olympics, so the only continent now without an Olympics is the African continent, and therefore I think it’s something that the IOC certainly will have to begin to think about.”
The IOC (International Olympic Committee) is scheduled to hold its 2011 sessions in Durban, and Jordaan believes this could present a springboard for a bid from either Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, and possibly an Egyptian bid as well. With at least two bids from African cities, and the slap to the face of the European and American bids last month for the 2016 Games, he may well have a valid point.
What are your thoughts? Could we handle an Olympic Games in 2020 in South Africa? If not, why not? And if yes, which of the three cities do you think should get the bid in?
4 Comments
YEah!! Bring it! Has to be a Jozi bid. Damn,did you see the visuals from the media show about at Soccer City yesterday? It looks amazing – huge, imposing, very memorable. Let it be the home of the Olympics in 2020. The visitors can travel to CT and DBN for side trips while they are here in between the sports events that they dont want to use.
Olympics at altitude, not going to happen.
Cape Town is the perfect fit.
Much as I hate to admit it, what with being a Joburger myself, CTGuy is 100% correct.
The only Olympics ever held at altitude was Mexico City in '68. The high altitude there (about 2200m asl) did aid in some record throws and jumps. But it hampered many of the other sports where sustained oxygen intake is vital. All subsequent Games have been held at, or close to, sea level.
Jozi is lower than Mexico City (about 1700m asl) but I agree that it is probably still a very slim possibility.
Rather let's get behind a unified bid from CTown or Dbn, and support our sister city wholeheartedly – we'll still benefit plenty from a successful bid from either. Much better than creating a bitter in-fighting situation between the cities before we even start the process.
As long as the ASA has nothing to do with it, I'd be happy to support a SA host city bid.
Okay I'll give in on this one. stupid athletes – they should learn how to breath properly!