KRATK

Not a huge fan of the logo, but it is ok. I love the idea of showing the Andes in it! I hope they keep it somehow in the final logo. Too bad the BA 2004 bid used the condor, it would have been my favourite thing for a Santiago logo.

Well, FINALLY!!! After cancelling twice and being beaten by Lima a few years ago, FINALLY we will host a major international event! As Roland said, it was bloody time! Although the PASO election may have influenced something (you can't discard anything in any Latin American sport organization), it always seemed to me that the BA bid didn't have future. Yes, they would had the infrastructure from the YOG, but I'm not even sure they are doing a lot about it. The situation in Argentina is still very complicated politically and economically so I wasn't sure they will commit with this bid... just like La Punta, I thought it was more a show than a serious intention.

Originally, the Chilean government decided to cancel the Santiago 2023 bid given the proposal made by the local Olympic committee and the Ministry of Sparts was badly rated. That encouraged Buenos Aires to bid and be, until today, the only official proposal. However, the Chilean Congress requested President Michelle Bachelet to support the bid anyways, and according to press reports, this was accepted and the bid will be announced today. http://www.t13.cl/noticia/deportes13/polideportivo/chile-presentara-su-candidatura-a-los-juegos-panamericanos-2023 So, will it be Buenos Aires vs Santiago after all?

Sure, because Latin America is a Far Eastern region...

I think that Argentina dreaming about hosting the World Cup at this moment is a reaaaally bad joke. They have just hosted the worst Copa América in the past years... the stadiums weren't the problems: it was the organization. They couldn't manage the ticket selling, the press, the accommodations, the broadcasting, etc, etc...

For sure, Chile won't get the Olympics soon, especially considering the small coverage of the winter sports for most of the population. Although the ski centers are less than 40kms away, most of the people of Santiago don't visit them. So, a potential Chilean bid in 2022 would be more about awareness of the city and about the winter sports in the country. In any case, I would say a WOG in Chile would be more interesting. Santiago itself has more population than whole New Zealand and better ski centers. I think South America has a great potential to increase the participation in Winter Olympics... not only Chile, but also nearby Argentina and Brazil (most of the people currently at the ski resorts are from Brazil). Of course, we must start developing the winter sports before getting the Olympics. I know, but this is something "amateur", more about an awareness campaign than a real bidding intention. Most of those athletes in fact are currently training in Santiago, Bariloche or other places. In fact, in past years the first stages of the FIS Snowboard World Cup has taken place in Santiago and Chapelco, in early september. Certainly, a potential Southern Hemisphere bid should have some schedule problems, but I don't think it something a really good bid can't solve.

This is an interesting piece of news I read today in one of the most influential Chilean magazines. The idea has no more background that any of my GamesBids contest proposal, but this is another step to put the idea of a Santiago Winter Olympic bid in discussion. This week, a simple but striking sticker appeared in several cars in the capital, consisting solely of the Olympic logo and the phrase "Santiago 2022." Behind these mysterious adhesives is the architect Federico Sanchez and the young designer Juan Carlos Labarca, which are fine-tuning the last details to officially launch the campaign for Santiago to host the Winter Olympics 2022. The initiative, born as the project title of Labarca at Diego Portales University, has as main objective to transform the capital into a sustainable city, thereby increasing their chances of Olympic Committee designates as the first South American host to organize the event. For that, among other initiatives, they think to call companies to adopt environmental measures and promoting the creation of new green areas and processing plants for household waste. http://www.quepasa.cl/articulo/ojos-de-la-llave/2011/07/17-6187-9-una-campana-olimpica-de-federico-sanchez.shtml

Three halves? What's next? FIFA allowing players to wear burqa? Or be naked? (although I'm not totally against that proposal ^^ ) This is becoming insane... you can't start changing the rules of the sport just because you had the GREAT idea of playing in the middle of the desert...

Colombia announced they will bid for 2026... but Argentina/Uruguay have the official support of CONMEBOL for 2030 so it will be a bit contradictory to have both bids at the same time (but football organizations and consistency are not related usually, so don't worry). There are some calls about a Chilean bid, but I think after Qatar there is no way we could bid. So I think it will be a battle between US-Colombia-¿Canada?. Mexico could bid but if Colombia enters, they will get the Latin support instead of Mexico.

Blatter almost said that he want the WC to be hosted in Bolivia for 2014 and the other day was asking Chile to step in the race... he usually says the same in every single country...

I'm so sad the Olympic Games ended for me in a different way... a little bit shaken... but anyways, I watched a lot of the Games on TVN (they made a summary every afternoon) and somedays on ESPN+. And I have to say, Vancouver Games were incredible... congratulations to all of you, Canadians!!!

Scott Lago... stupid, but really hot... My fav is Brian Joubert... hot hot hot... and then Stephane Lambiert. I've seen some good looking alpine guys but I don't remember their names...

ESPN+ was terrible. First of all, the guys were talking all the time about anything and nothing related to the ceremony. They started to talk how beauty Nikki was and how her dress was too short for winter while Rogge and the GG entered the stadium... I couldn't even heard the Vice-Regal March or anything that happened later. Then, in the Cultural section, they were mute for almost an hour. I understand some English so I tried to translate to my family but it was very difficult... nobody understood what was going on... And finally, they were supposed to be an international broadcaster... but they were totally Argentinean-biased. Everything they were talking was about something related to ARG. When Chile entered the stadium, they started to talk about how Chilean athlets train in Argentinean ski centers (???) and they didn't mentioned the number of athlets nor the flagbearer. Colombia was totally omitted and there were just two words for Peru in its inaugural parade. Extremely disappointed...