IOC wraps up assessment tour of Madrid's bid

MADRID (AP) -Security against terror threats is a top priority for the International Olympic Committee as it weighs up bids for the 2016 games from Madrid and three other cities, the head of the evaluation panel said Friday.

Nawal el Moutawakel, chair of the IOC commission, said the ability of a city "to organize a safe and secure games'' would weigh heavily in the committee's technical assessment.

"We have been most impressed to find what the city of Madrid could offer the Olympics,'' El Moutawakel said, virtually the same words she used after visiting rival bids from Chicago, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

"From what we have seen Madrid is ready to present the games, just like the other three cities,'' she said at the close of the five-day visit.

Earlier, Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said separatist militants would not pose a threat to the 2016 Olympics if Madrid wins.

Rubalcaba told the 13-member IOC evaluation team that security forces had considerable experience in protecting international sporting events in Spain.

"We won't need to worry about (Basque separatist group) ETA in 2016,'' Rubalcaba said.

Rubalcaba told the IOC that Spain had an impeccable record of protecting major sporting and international events in Spain from being targeted.

ETA has killed more than 825 people in a 40-year campaign for an independent Basque state. Also, on March 11, 2004, 191 people were killed and 1,800 injured in bombing attacks by Islamic terrorists in Madrid.

Madrid is the final of the four bid cities to be evaluated by the IOC.

The evaluation panel will compile a report assessing the four bids by Sept. 2, a month before the full IOC selects the host city in Copenhagen.

Madrid is hoping to persuade the IOC that Spain's security situation and financial stability pose no threat to a successful games.

Madrid has already completed 77 percent of its Olympic venues, which it believes will allow it to weather the current economic crisis. Spain is one of the worse-hit European countries, with unemployment figures expected to hit 20 percent next year.

El Moutawakel and Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli said the panel had been impressed by Madrid's infrastructure and singled out the "Magic Box'' tennis center, aquatics center and international airport.

Felli said the economic downturn was unlikely to last seven years, so by the time the 2016 games come around financial issues may not be a worry.

"Each city believes its bid will have a positive impact,'' Felli said.

El Moutawakel and the other IOC members had lunch with Spain's Royal family, who will lead the Spanish capital's delegation to Copenhagen for the vote.

The IOC chair said the panel had enjoyed meeting tennis star Rafa Nadal, Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez and former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

"I can tell you the weather played a good role also, sunny and nice,'' El Moutawakel said.

Meanwhile, Spanish Sport Minister Jaime Lissavetzky assured the IOC team that a pending doping law that goes against World Anti-Doping Agency rules would not impede Madrid's bid.

The law would prohibit drug-testing of athletes between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. WADA rules state that athletes must be available for drug testing 24 hours a day.

Lissavetzky would discuss the matter with WADA director general David Howman at a meeting in Montreal this weekend.

"In this moment there is no difference in the perception of the laws between WADA, the IOC and Spain,'' Lissavetzy said. "They are absolutely compatible ... Spain is a leading country in the fight against doping.''