The View from Australia

[Eruedan]

Source - AOC Website - www.olympics.com.au

Australia has 3 IOC members who will vote in Singapore. The consensus reached on the boards earlier in the year was that they would most likely vote for London.

However....

AUSTRALIA'S three International Olympic Committee members are expected to split their support when the vote for the host city of the 2012 Games is held in Singapore tomorrow night.

None of the three would reveal their preferences yesterday, but senior IOC member Mr Gosper said they would not vote as a block.

Mr Gosper said the Commonwealth's block vote that helped Sydney defeat Beijing for the 2000 Games no longer existed and said London could not rely on that support.

``In our own region, I sense there are varying views,'' he said. ``I don't think Phil and John and I are voting the same way. I think a lot of the Commonwealth countries from the Caribbean may support New York and it's hard to pick where the African countries may go.''

Mr Gosper said he had chosen his top three cities, but said the order could change based on events in the final two days and the presentations to the IOC tomorrow morning.

However, Mr Gosper is known to have a preference for cities that offer an important legacy for sport, as London does with its plan to revitalise East London with an Olympic park.

Mr Coles, an IOC member since 1982, last night told The Australian the contest was ``the tighest race I have ever seen'' and said he was yet to finalise his vote.

Mr Coates has consistently refused to reveal his thinking. But as the numbers man for the Sydney bid in 1993, he is more aware than anyone that it was Manchester's loyalty to a fellow Commonwealth city that pushed his home town over the line in Monte Carlo.

When Manchester was eliminated in the second-last round, eight of its 11 votes went to Sydney, allowing the Australian city to overtake Beijing by two votes in the last round.

Also.....

US sources claim that Australian members Kevan Gosper and John Coates may decide to vote for New York as part of a deal to help Mr Gosper earn a fourth term as IOC vice-president. But each of the rounds of voting are secret and both Mr Gosper and Coates refuse to reveal their voting plans.

And now Ian Thorpe has said that he will delay his retirement until the 2012 Olympics if New York wins. That's emotional blackmail for Australians if you ask me.

[Mekky]

Note : a very influent australian is inside Paris 2012 team, he helped Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 to win, he was not in Paris 2008 team.