Baku bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics
| Overview | |
|---|---|
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Games of the XXXI Olympiad XV Paralympic Games |
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Rio de Janeiro Madrid · Tokyo · Chicago |
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| Details | |
| City | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| NOC | National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan |
| Evaluation | |
| IOC score | 4.3 |
| Previous Games hosted | |
| None | |
| Decision | |
| Result | Not shortlisted. |
Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was the first bid by the city to host the Olympic games. Baku was eliminated from the running at the announcement of the Candidate city shortlist on June 4, 2008.
If Baku had been chosen to host, the games would have been held between July 15 and July 31, 2016. The Paralympics would have been held between August 10 and August 22.
Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, announced its plans to bid for the Olympics, with initial studies suggesting that the cost of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games may be $20 billion. In July 2007, Chingiz Huseynzade, chairman of Azerbaijan's National Olympic Committee, told a press conference that a group of economists was working on this issue. Baku is Azerbaijan's oil-rich capital city, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The city had become somewhat run down following the chaotic period during which independent Azerbaijan emerged from the former Soviet Union but has been experiencing massive development since a new oil-boom began around 2003. As a city in the crossroads between East and West, Huseynzade suggested that the theme of the games might be "making a better connection between East and West"
In November 2007, the Azerbaijan Organizing Committee established its bid committee, installing first vice premier Yagub Eyubov as head. To ensure quick turnaround, Sports Minister Azad Ragimov appointed the Caspian American Group to prepare the bid book with the assistance of the government.
Recent sports experience included Baku's hosting of the 2007 World Wrestling Championships and the 23rd European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships at the Heydar Aliyev Sport Complex, named for the former Azeri leader.
The bid was popular with residents, with 91.9% of residents being in favor of the bid. This was the highest approval rating of any of the applicants, most of which were in the 70s-80s percent range.
One issue that appeals to the IOC is the sports or Olympic legacy of a host nation. As Azerbaijan has been independent only a short time, naturally, it has a short Olympic history, sending teams since only 1996 and claiming only three gold medalists so far. Meanwhile, its long border with Iran may have caused concerns for a security risk. However, Iran itself expressed support for the Baku Olympic bid. In addition, the South Caucasus is a region with two other frozen political conflicts, which may have negatively influenced support of the regional Games.
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