In Race for 2012, London Steps Up

BERLIN — With the race for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games entering the homestretch, London bid officials unveiled a package of subsidies and incentives Monday, aimed at winning votes, and declared that the enticements would not run afoul of International Olympic Committee ethics rules.

For instance, organizers announced, each of the 202 national Olympic committees that wants to bring its team to Britain for the Games, should they be awarded to London, would be entitled to a $50,000 credit toward the cost of training at designated sites around the country.

In addition, each team member would get a round-trip economy class ticket to the Games “flexible” enough to account for scheduling changes; so-called “Olympic family” members would get discount cards worth 20% to 50% off at London restaurants, shops and theaters; and each athlete would get a phone card worth up to $100 in calls from the Olympic village.

The IOC will choose the 2012 site on July 6 in Singapore. London is vying with Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. Paris is widely believed to be the front-runner, but several Olympic insiders said Monday that New York and London might have strengthened their chances recently.

London officials expressed confidence that they were not breaching any rules the IOC drew up after the 1999 Salt Lake City corruption scandal. Ten IOC members resigned or were expelled after it was revealed that Salt Lake had won the 2002 Games in part by wooing IOC members or their relatives with more than $1 million in gifts, cash and other inducements. Among the rules: IOC members are now banned from visiting bidding cities.

“What is it we’re trying to do?” said Sebastian Coe, the two-time Olympic track and field gold medalist who serves as chairman of the London bid. “We’re trying to create the best experience for the competitors.”

The London plan also features other incentives: free train travel for athletes around Britain after the Games, free housing and living expenses for so-called “technical delegates” from each of the 28 Summer Games international sports federations “to stay in London for up to a year to oversee Games preparations” and no Games-time “minimum stay” hotel requirements for any federation “member, staff or guest,” with hotel prices for 40,000 rooms locked in for 2012 at 2005 rates.