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Olympic bid must bring Whistler to IOC

Whistler can be trusted to put on a great event, in a sustainable manner, in a spectacular setting The Vancouver-Whistler bid team for the 2010 Winter Games can’t just phone up members of the International Olympic Committee and invite them here

Whistler can be trusted to put on a great event, in a sustainable manner, in a spectacular setting

The Vancouver-Whistler bid team for the 2010 Winter Games can’t just phone up members of the International Olympic Committee and invite them here to see for themselves the spectacular nature of B.C.’s venue.

So like many other cities vying for the Games the "hard sell" has been left to a team of "international relations" experts.

At the recent Olympic Info Zone meeting Steve Podborski, executive director of International Relations for the 2010 Bid, told a dozen or so people that it’s a challenge to try and describe how great it is here.

"It is so difficult to describe things in two or three pictures," Podborski said during an earlier interview.

"I try to create an image and one thing I do like to say is that imagine you come to the Winter Games and enjoy some of the greatest venues in the world and on the same day you will be able to play golf.

"It’s just a perfect place."

Cities have been banned from inviting IOC members to their venue sites since Salt Lake City was caught bribing officials in 1998 following their successful campaign to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.

"As an applicant city we are not really allowed to talk to anybody," said Podborski.

"So right now we are not doing anything."

But if Vancouver and Whistler are dubbed candidate cities this fall it’s their duty to go out and tell IOC members all about the bid.

"The biggest job IOC members have is to choose where the Games go," Podborski told those attending the meeting.

"They want to understand why our bid is better."

IOC officials still can’t be invited to the venue sites but Podborski and others can go and meet them at any number of international events and tell them all about B.C.’s bid for the 2010 Games.

"You don’t want to go and bang on their door but as it happens there are all these events around the world that they go to and it is sort of a good idea to go and talk to them," he said earlier.

But it’s a cautious game.

"There are no small moves in our bid," said Podborski describing the Games as the biggest prize in sports.

"You are under a microscope. Everything makes a difference."

The IOC is composed of up to 130 members who meet in Session at least once a year.

The Session elects a president by secret ballot for a term of eight years, renewable once for four years.

The IOC chooses and elects its members from those its nominations committee considers qualified.

All Olympic Movement members have the right to submit nominations.

Fifteen members come from the international sports federations, 15 come from National Olympic Committees and 70 others are individual members.

Most of the funding received by the IOC comes from the rights to the Games bought by broadcasters. But money also comes from the Olympic Partners world-wide sponsorship program comprising multinational corporations.

A common misconception, said Podborski, is that IOC members act as delegates for their own country.

Rather the members are IOC representatives in their own countries.

As part of the bid process Vancouver and Whistler will host an evaluation committee early next year. It is made up of 18 people. Three or four are IOC members. The rest are experts in various sporting endeavours and accountants. The same team goes to every candidate city.

"Their job is really to ensure you can deliver the goods," said Podborski.

The evaluation committee will report back to other IOC officials on such things as the athletic facilities of the Games, and housing for the athletes, coaches, officials and visiting spectators. It does not make a recommendation.

Candidates must also convince the IOC they can provide transportation, food service and cultural activities.

Host cities are chosen by a majority vote of the IOC.

One of B.C.’s best assets in pushing its bid, said Podborski is its track record.

"One of the great strengths of our bid is that we can do this on time and well," he said.

"We are Canadian. If we say we are going to do something we probably will… and that is an important thing when you are talking about a billion dollar event."

IOC members are not influenced by decisions which have nothing to do with their organization said Podborski in reply to a question from Councillor Nick Davies about how the sport organization may view a rejection of the World Economic Forum’s annual conference by the resort.

An IOC member would say, "my vote is my vote," said Podborski.

"I’m not letting someone else dictate to me," they would say.

"The IOC members really don’t care what happens with the WEF."

But that said, Podborski admitted that bad publicity surrounding the conference or the resort’s involvement is bound to have repercussions.

Several elements of the Vancouver-Whistler bid will help its success said Podborski.

The sports facilities are second to none. Many of the venues are already in place needing only upgrades to get them ready.

Other venues are well along in planning.

"We have been described as light-years ahead of our competition," he said.

The cultural elements of the Games, through the opening and closing ceremonies and other events, are also unique.

Sustainability is also a key factor and is being thoroughly explored by the Bid Corp.

But above and beyond all the concrete elements of the Games is the ideal that Whistler and Vancouver uphold said Podborski.

"What we have that is unique in that we go from the sea to the sky," he said.

"We encompass that metaphor and that is a compelling vision."