Olympic fever

The selection of London yesterday as the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics probably reduced the chances that another European city will be chosen for the 2016 games, but those wanting to bring the event to Prague in 2016 or 2020 won't give up. London won, Tony Blair said, because everyone pulled together. For example, the editors of the U.K.'s 10 national newspapers supported the bid. In the CR, only a handful of people are pushing for the games, and public support is very low (30%). To win wide support, the Czech organizers will have to show that the event is good for everyone and isn't just a money-making scheme by a few developers, builders, politicians and consultants. The machinations surrounding Sazka Arena are a fine example of where this leads. By the time the 2016 games come around, the CR will only just be extracting itself from that Hušák-Kalousek extravagance. [Czech Republic Aleš Miroslav KDU-ČSL United Kingdom England Great Britain prime minister real-estate construction companies]