|
Friday, 25 August, 2006 4:35 PM
OLYMPICS:
Coming to Detroit in 2020?
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / AMERICAJR.com
Michigan
Governor Jennifer M. Granholm is working with Detroit Mayor Kwame
Kilpatrick to try and get the Summer Olympics to come to Detroit
in 2020.
Detroit has been host city to many large sporting events. We've
hosted the Ryder Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and most recently, the
Super Bowl. Governor Granholm and Mayor Kilpatrick are working to
get the Summer Olympics to come to Detroit and Windsor in the year
2020.
The Motor
City has placed bids to host the Olympics several times before.
Detroit has never won the bid but has come close two times. Our
city has bidded seven times between the years of 1944 and 1972.
Detroit came in second place to Tokyo in 1964 and to Munich in 1972.
What does
Detroit have in its advantage this time? Instead of just Detroit
running for the Olympics, there will be an international bid with
Windsor and Detroit. It will give Detroit a better chance of being
chosen to host the biggest sporting event around. Both cities joined
together during the Superbowl XL and could join again for the Olympics.
Our city
is known for Sports. We have the Detroit Tigers, MLB-baseball team
that is currently first place in standings. We've got the Detroit
Red Wings, NHL-hockey team that has won many Stanley Cups during
recent years. The Detroit Pistons, NBA-baskeball team that has won
some championships lately. The Motor City also has the Lions, NFL-football
team at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.
What
other cities are bidding for the 2020 Olympics?
Detroit
has to face and beat out a number of competitors. Some of the other
possible host cities for the 2020 Olympics include Amsterdam, Netherlands;
Brisbane, Australia; Toronto, Canada; Busan, South Korea; Cape Town,
South Africa; Copenhagen, Denmark; Geneva-Lyon, Switzerland-France;
New Delhi, India; Bombay, India; Prague, Czech Republic; France;
Taiwan; Puerto Rico. Some of Detroit's U.S. competitors include
Denver, CO; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and Minneapolis;
MN.
Much of
the decision process will be determined after the 2016 Olmypics
are decided. If the 2016 Olympics are not in the U.S.A, it is pretty
much a guarantee that they will be somewhere in the U.S. in the
year 2020. The International Olympic Committee will be the group
in charge of making a decision.
Athens,
Greece hosted the 2004 Olympics. Last winter, the Olympics were
in Torino. The Summer Olympics will return to Beijing in 2008. Vancouver
will host the Winter Olympics in 2010. London will host the next
summer Olympics in 2012. The winning bid for the 2020 Olympics will
be made in the year 2013.
What's
next for Detroit in terms of sports?
The spotlight
is far from over for Detroit. After hosting the Ryder Cup, MLB All-Star
Game and the Super Bowl, there is much more to come. In 2007, Detorit
will host the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In 2008,
Detroit will host the AAU Junior Olympic Games, the PGA Pro Tour
and the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Rounds. In 2009, Detroit will
be the host city of the NCAA Final Four and the NCAA Frozen Four
championships.
Detroit
has a strong case to host the 2020 Olympics. Our city has bidded
many times for this prestigious event and never won it. With the
addition of Windsor, Canada as a partnership, look for the Olympics
to come to the Motor City for the first time in 2020. It just makes
sense. Detroit deserves the BEST and the biggest sporting event
in the world.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics
http://www.theworldiscoming.com/home.html
|
