Winning or losing an Olympic election sometimes comes down to a few details. The number, and especially the identity, of athletes associated with a candidacy is one. Never decisive, but not trivial. In the battle for the 2020 Games, the three competing cities, Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo, have adopted a different strategy. Review of details and analysis.
They support Istanbul. A big name of the Games, the Australian Ian Thorpe, five-time Olympic swimming champion, in 2000 and 2004, now retired from the pools. And two football figures, the Ivorians Didier Drogba et Emmanuel Eboue, both “locals”, since united under the jersey of Galatasaray, in Istanbul. A very eclectic choice, with a double effect: the Australian and the two Ivorians belong to two continents not represented in this race for the Summer Games. By soliciting them, Istanbul 2020 can attract Oceanian and African voters. Not stupid. But the former swimmer himself expressed, before formally joining the candidacy, his desire to be associated with Istanbul 2020.
They support Madrid. The Spanish capital innovates by playing the national card. Their support committee has 40 Iberian champions, 20 men and 20 women. At the head of the department, Rafael Nadal. “I think our turn has come,” assured “Rafa”. The others are less known, but represent the young generation of Spanish sport, likely to shine in 2020. Let us cite, in bulk, Joel Gonzales Bonilla, Olympic taekwondo champion in 2012, Alfonso Cabello Llamas, Paralympic track cycling champion in London, Johnatan Alonso Flete, selected in boxing at the 2012 Games, Michelle Alonso Morales, Paralympic gold medalist in the 100m breaststroke, or even Mario Mola, 19th in triathlon at the 2012 Olympic Games. The choice of diversity. Why not.
They support Tokyo. A headliner, universal but not necessarily very popular :Carl Lewis. “I am for progress, I believe in high technology, the public wants ultra-modern equipment,” declared King Carl, ensuring that the Japanese capital represented the safest choice for this dive into the world of tomorrow. For the rest, Tokyo 2020 uses local products, with a certain preference for women: the former swimmer Ai Shibata, gold medalist in the 800m at the 2004 Games, Homare Sawa, the most capped female football player in Japan, world champion in 2011, Takayuki Suzuki, double bronze medalist in swimming at the London Paralympic Games. Classic.
