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Who Do You Think Will Win 2014?


SOlympiadsW

Who will win 2014?  

135 members have voted

  1. 1. Candidate Cities:

    • Salzberg, Austria
      38
    • PyeongChang, South Korea
      46
    • Socchi Russia
      51


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Uh, hello? Can you hear me........? Of course many people call the 1996 Games the Coca-Cola Games, Atlanta is famous around the world for very little else - I can only think of Gone with the Wind! When Athens lost the chance of staging the 1996 Centennial Coca-Cola was an obvious scapegoat for the Greeks angry about such a milestone event going elsewhere - it was then that it began to be referred to as the "Coca-Cola Games". The Greeks thought that Coke had stolen the Games - one said that Coca-Cola had won over the Parthenon - Coke sales plummetted in Greece as the media there were full of conspiracy theories about the bid, and Coke sales took a while to recover. In reality though it was just that Atlanta had the strongest bid that year and the Athens weren't considered ready at that point.

When Atlanta first conceived the idea of staging the Summer Games Coca-Cola was one of their first contacts, but they told them not to bother - because Coke is so much associated with Atlanta they knew it wouldn't be seen as being neutral and they feared the boycott of Coke products among the other campaigning cities.

Uh, hello? Still there...? Samsung isn't associated with the PyeongChang region of South Korea as much as Coke was to Atlanta, but they will still avoid so much overt support as their worldwide market is more important to them than having the Olympics on their own door step. I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung executives are actually against a bid as it does have the potential to be very damaging to their corporation's reputation and their sales should their city win (as Coke found out after the 1996 result) - and it doesn't really offer a greater number of marketing opportunities for a premier sponsor than having the Games anywhere else - they are MULTI-national companies afterall.

Yeah, Stu, but you don't know the behind-the-scenes maneuvers a major sponsor like Samsung (for whom one of our esteemed GBidders, I believe, used to work for) can pull. WHy would it be inconceivable for a major sponsor to pull out all the stops to have something as plummy as a WOG to come to their home country? I mean, what? A company such as Samsung will NOT be proud to host guests and clients in its home country -- esp. a rather advanced technological society like So. Korea? C'mon.

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I would make Salzburg a slight favourite at this stage. PyeongChang is its strongest opposition and I have a sense that, after 2010, it's almost now or never for them. Sochi is the outsider and probably has the most ground to make up.

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Here's my take on a Salzburg victory: if 2007-2014 goes to Austria, then that would bolster LA's 2016 chances -- because that would the second 3rd time hosting country in succession -- and if LA is the US candidate for 2009-16, then maybe the 3rd time's indeed a charm.

(But I still think it will be PyongChang victory in which case, that would not be good for a Los ANgeles candidacy.)

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Here's my take on a Salzburg victory: if 2007-2014 goes to Austria, then that would bolster LA's 2016 chances -- because that would the second 3rd time hosting country in succession -- and if LA is the US candidate for 2009-16, then maybe the 3rd time's indeed a charm.

(But I still think it will be PyongChang victory in which case, that would not be good for a Los ANgeles candidacy.)

I don't think that a Salzburg victory would influence the prospects for Los Angeles at all. Perhaps you aren't aware in the US that Austria is infact a country and not a city. Salzburg has never hosted an Olympics (none of the 2014 candidate cities have) - it was another Austrian city, Innsbruck, that was awarded the Winter Games before and then again afterwards to save the IOC embarrassment when Denver pulled out.

So the country of Austria will have hosted three Winter Games if Salzburg is successful whereas the US will have hosted Olympics eight times before - I don't think even Stephen Hawkins would be able to decifer a workable pattern to predict the outcome of the 2016 Summer Games in favour of Los Angeles from this!

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I don't think that a Salzburg victory would influence the prospects for Los Angeles at all. Perhaps you aren't aware in the US that Austria is infact a country and not a city. Salzburg has never hosted an Olympics (none of the 2014 candidate cities have) - it was another Austrian city, Innsbruck, that was awarded the Winter Games before and then again afterwards to save the IOC embarrassment when Denver pulled out.

So the country of Austria will have hosted three Winter Games if Salzburg is successful whereas the US will have hosted Olympics eight times before - I don't think even Stephen Hawkins would be able to decifer a workable pattern to predict the outcome of the 2016 Summer Games in favour of Los Angeles from this!

Uhmm... I am perfectly aware that (1) Austria IS a country; (2) Salzburg is a CITY which the film SOUND OF MUSIC made famous!! , Innsbruch - blah-blah

Please DON'T insult us Stu!! :angry:

I think MY points are valid. Yours aren't!! :P

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I don't think that a Salzburg victory would influence the prospects for Los Angeles at all. Perhaps you aren't aware in the US that Austria is infact a country and not a city. Salzburg has never hosted an Olympics (none of the 2014 candidate cities have) - it was another Austrian city, Innsbruck, that was awarded the Winter Games before and then again afterwards to save the IOC embarrassment when Denver pulled out.

So the country of Austria will have hosted three Winter Games if Salzburg is successful whereas the US will have hosted Olympics eight times before - I don't think even Stephen Hawkins would be able to decifer a workable pattern to predict the outcome of the 2016 Summer Games in favour of Los Angeles from this!

exactly, for anything the results would be different, and the IOC will be looking for a new place to go...especially if LA is the US candidate (which looks likely)

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The only 2014 city I can see having much of an impact at all is PyeongChang, and even then I doubt that it winning would have much effect on any Asian 2016 bid (Tokyo?, Fukuoka?, Bangkok?). With no North American 2014 shortlisters, and with Europe having nothing to lose (2016 is just so unlikely for them anyway), 2014 is almost like a free vote for the IOC with little or no geopolitical issues to factor in.

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Salzburg is a CITY which the film SOUND OF MUSIC made famous!!

Yes, Salzburg was completely unknown before 'The Sound of Music' and Julie Andrews - I can't think of anyone famous from there! :rolleyes:

I'm not rubbishing Los Angeles chances for 2016, I'm only stating that a Salzburg victory for 2014 would have no influence at all on the 2016 result, especially as European cities will have only a limited outside chance for the Summer Games that year anyway.

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Yes, Salzburg was completely unknown before 'The Sound of Music' and Julie Andrews - I can't think of anyone famous from there! :rolleyes:

I suspect Salzburg was famous for the sound of music long before 'The Sound of Music'! :D

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The only 2014 city I can see having much of an impact at all is PyeongChang, and even then I doubt that it winning would have much effect on any Asian 2016 bid (Tokyo?, Fukuoka?, Bangkok?). With no North American 2014 shortlisters, and with Europe having nothing to lose (2016 is just so unlikely for them anyway), 2014 is almost like a free vote for the IOC with little or no geopolitical issues to factor in.

exactly, I completely agree with all of your points on this

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What about WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART?

Duhh... :blink:

Sure,but I'll bet he couldn't sing half as well as Julie Andrews! :lol:

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Sure,but I'll bet he couldn't sing half as well as Julie Andrews! :lol:

Besides, it was Mozart who was famous and NOT the city. And if truth be told, he hated Salzburg (found it too provincial) and Salzburg just rode on his coattails, so to speak. At least SOM, because it was known to the world in a visual medium, actually made the locale famous.

And where are Amadeus' bones now? :blink:

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And where is Julie Andrews larynx now? :blink:

Mozart's bones are still in Vienna and Julie's larynx is still in Los Angeles (I believe).

But I still think Salzburg will become the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games! B)

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm still considering Salzburg as favorite for 2014. Technically nothing has changed to the race - Salzburg is still 1st with PC following, Sochi built a new airport which is a boost, but not enough to overcome its other infrastructure deficits. However, on the PR side, which becomes more and more important as the voting comes close, Sochi and PC are battling on the top with many press-releases and news. Salzburg, on the other hand, didn't do much about promoting its bid recently. The last piece of news from Austria came a month ago.

After the initial discussions about the shortlist, the race has become a very quiet one. But I think it'll heat up with the IOC seminar for candidates approaching and the bid books being in works for some time now.

Ultimately, it may not be as interesting race as 2012, but this one also has it charms and inpredictability.

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I'm still considering Salzburg as favorite for 2014. Technically nothing has changed to the race - Salzburg is still 1st with PC following, Sochi built a new airport which is a boost, but not enough to overcome its other infrastructure deficits. However, on the PR side, which becomes more and more important as the voting comes close, Sochi and PC are battling on the top with many press-releases and news. Salzburg, on the other hand, didn't do much about promoting its bid recently. The last piece of news from Austria came a month ago.

After the initial discussions about the shortlist, the race has become a very quiet one. But I think it'll heat up with the IOC seminar for candidates approaching and the bid books being in works for some time now.

Ultimately, it may not be as interesting race as 2012, but this one also has it charms and inpredictability.

Until recently I would have agreed with you,but I'm just wondering how much damage is being caused to Salzburg's bid from the recent Austrian legal threat to sue both Dick Pound AND Jacques Rogge for defamation and slander against their controversial coach Walter Mayer??

Somehow I can't see the IOC taking kindly to a bid from a country that is threatening to take its two most senior members to court!! For Salzburg's sake,the Austrians need to settle their differences with the IOC quickly and amicably! :blink:

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  • 2 weeks later...
Im gonna have to say Salzburg will walk away with the games this time around.

What do you think -- the Koreans will just roll over and play dead? Haven't you been reading? The Koreans are putting on a full-court press on this one. And they have more $$$ than the Austrians to throw at this contest; plus, they've done it once before -- so they know where to best put their resources. I wouldn't discount PC yet.

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