London awarded 2012 games following misplaced vote

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A senior Israeli member of the International Olympic Committee said Friday that London only won the bid for the 2012 Games because of a misplaced vote. Alex Gilady told Army Radio that in the third round of voting, with Moscow and New York already out and only London, Paris and Madrid remaining in the race, one of his fellow IOC members asked to recast his ballot but was told it was too late. The Israeli did not reveal the name of the IOC member in question, but Britain's Press Associated identified him as Greek delegate Lambis Nikolaou. Gilady said the delegate had wanted to vote for Madrid instead of Paris. That, he said, might have allowed Madrid to stay in the race for a final round, and possibly beat London. In the end, London beat Paris 54-50 for right to host the 2012 Olympics. Gilady said the delegate had promised Madrid his vote but mistakenly selected Paris instead. Had he not done so, there would have been a head-to-head battle between the Spaniards and the French for the right to face the British in the final round. In the third round, Paris got 33 votes to Madrid's 31. Changing the vote would have tied Paris and Madrid at 32 votes apiece. Gilady predicted that had Madrid won the third round, it probably would have prevailed in the end because "all the Paris votes would have gone to Madrid against London."