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How UK won Olympic bid in the final straight
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-07-12 06:07

The path to London's Olympic victory had many twists and turns but perhaps none so bizarre as the turn performed by the prime minister's wife over tea and biscuits at Downing Street.


London's bid leader and former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe attends a news conference after London won the 2012 Summer Olympic Games bid in Singapore July 7, 2005. [Reuters]
When a group of foreign journalists was invited to No 10 in February as part of Britain's lobbying effort, Cherie Blair was anxious to show that she would do anything to improve London's chances.

Her ingratiating performance was only a small part of the extensive 26 million pounds (US$45 million) lobbying campaign led by Lord Sebastian Coe, the former Tory member of parliament (MP) and Olympic gold medallist, which transformed London's bid from an also-ran into a serious contender.

While Paris remained the favourite until the final vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Singapore on Wednesday, the London bid capitalized on French complacency.

Coe's strenuous efforts flying across the world to promote the bid, his contacts with key figures in the Olympic movement and clever public relations had put London back in the race. London generated twice as much publicity in the foreign press as the other four cities put together.

Victory was sealed in an intense 48 hours of lobbying and horse-trading leading up to the vote, including a charm offensive by Tony Blair and a remarkably uplifting, multicultural video played in the final presentation.

Coe, who had won Olympic gold in the 1500 metres in both 1980 and 1984, threw himself into the new role as bid chairman.
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