Moscow Mayor: 2012 Olympics will be held in Moscow

Moscow will win the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games, according to Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. The mayor was speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the Olympic Committee, which unanimously voted in favour of Moscow making a bid for the games.

According to the mayor, Moscow's rivals will be New York, London, Paris, Havana, and Leipzig, although there may still be more entries as the deadline for applications is only July 15.

Luzhkov admitted that there were a lot of strong competitors, but said that Moscow had an advantage because it had experience of holding the Olympics and because of its sporting potential, as there are over 500 Olympic finalists living in the city. The mayor also said that he had informed Jacques Rogge, the President of the IOC, by telephone of Moscow's wish to take part in the competition for the 2012 Olympics.