BELGIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VIEWS ON CHICAGO 2016 OLYMPIC

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000850 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y Para 6 marking added) SIPDIS STATE FOR EC: KELLI DAVIS AND EUR: LEA PEREZ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EEOC KPAO OEXC SCUL BE SUBJECT: BELGIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VIEWS ON CHICAGO 2016 OLYMPIC BID, BASEBALL/SOFTBALL'S POSSIBLE RETURN TO GAMES REF: A: STATE 2732; B: REASOR-EUR DCMS MARCH 18, 2009 EMAIL SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) On May 11, the Charg sought the support of the President and the Secretary General of Belgium's Olympic Committee for Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Games. The Charg also raised the U.S. desire for the re-admittance of baseball and softball to the Games. The Belgians said they had been impressed by Chicago's presentation in Geneva but felt it lacked a spirit of fun; they were also concerned that security measures not be seen as discourteous or oppressive. The Belgian officials said the country's representative to the International Olympic Committee (IOC),the IOC president, Jacques Rogge, would not take a position in favour of any candidate city but nonetheless play an important role. Regarding baseball and softball, they advised the federations of both sports to form a 'joint venture' in order to be considered as one sport for the 2016 Olympics. End summary. Chicago's 2016 Bid -------------- ¶2. (U) The Charg (along with PolEcon Counselor and PD LES officer) highlighted the strength of Chicago's bid with the Belgian Olympic officials: it represents the heartland of America, possesses a superlative infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of visitors to the Games, and plans to keep many of the events close to the city. ¶3. (U) The Belgians listed four critical criteria for a successful candidate city: *Compactness: holding all the events as close to the Olympic Village as possible. London's layout was a good example. *Legacy: the use following the Games of the Olympic Village and other venues is important. Both Beijing and London's bids did a good job with this criterion. *Accessibility and fairness: it is important that events are accessible to a broad audience and that organizers guarantee that vendors and hotels do not take advantage of the Games to inflate prices. *Security: appropriate but friendly security measures are essential. The Belgians were concerned security measures not be oppressive or discourteous, and cited Beijing's example of congeniality while maintaining strict security. ¶4. (U) The Belgians said they had been very impressed with Chicago's presentation in Geneva, especially with keeping many venues in or close by the city. But they faulted the presentation's lack of some of the fun and 'spirit and soul' of the Olympics and recommended Chicago do more in this regard in the run-up to an October decision in Copenhagen. The Belgian officials also highlighted the importance of the last 24 hours in Copenhagen, and urged Chicago to work on its bid until the very last minute. Regarding the vote in Copenhagen, they said that Belgium's IOC representative, Jacques Rogge, in his capacity as the current IOC president, would not take a position in favor of any candidate city but nonetheless play a vital role in the selection process. BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL -------------- ¶5. (U) The Charg raised (per ref B) the importance of returning baseball and softball to the Olympic games, pointing out that the sports, while playing an important part in American culture and our civil rights movement, were now global sports, with baseball played by more than 100 countries. The Belgians advised the two spo`nd make a joint proposae sport, in order to b only one of the two slots for new spthe Belgian officials saQ a male/female balance inmoves toward a 50/50 representation of women and men at the Games. ¶6. (U) Post will send separate letters to the Cicago 2016 Olympic committee and to the interQational baseball and softball federations, shQring the Belgians' observations. BUSH