Questions on Montreal

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33671, 22 October 1974, Page 34

Questions on Montreal

(N.Z. Press Assn— Copyright) VIENNA. The organisers of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games will face some tough questioning when they present their progress report to the International Olympic Committee (1.0. C. congress. The Comite Organisateur des Jeux Olympiques (C.0.J.0.) has already been criticised by the 1.0. C. vicepresident (Mr Willi Daume) and the 1.0. C. press subcommittee has rejected the C.0.J.0. proposals for press accommodation. ‘‘There are three questions which have to be settled very quickly;” said Mr Daume. “First, they have to explain why work has not begun on construction of the Olympic athletes’ village. Secondly, the question of the press accommodation must be sorted out and then there is still no agreement with the European Broadcasting Union 1 (E.8.U.) about television; rights in Europe,” he said. Work on the Olympic I village was scheduled to begin in May but because of funding and construction problems no work on the actual site has begun. A source on the 1.0. C. 1

executive committee said: “We are particularly worried about the stage of the construction industry and its problems in Montreal. For example, the cycling velodrome was not ready in time for the world championships this summer. How do we know that it will not be the same for the Olympics? ROOMS PROMISED

, “The question of press accommodation will be more easy to resolve. I think that part of the problem was that when Montreal was awarded the games, the Mayor (Mr Jean Drapeau) promised 4000 rooms with closed circuit television for the press and now we hear that some are staying in hotels, others in student residences or apartments, some with private families and even some camping,” he said. C.0.J.0. officials were confident, however, that the 1.0. C. would approve their latest progress report. “Munich had its problems, too,” said one delegate, i “Their television contract ,wasn’t signed until a, few ! weeks before the games and the 1.0. C. did not make such I a fuss about that” 1980 GAMES Moscow and Los Angeles put their cases for staging the 1980 Olympic Games on 'display in Vienna.

The Soviet capital’s exhibition under the highvaulted ceilings of the Vienna City Hall was lavish and confident, as befits the overwhelming favourite. Los Angeles, on the other hand, continued its low key bid for the right to stage the world’s greatest sports spectacle. Most of the 70 members of 1 the 1.0. C. who will vote this week to decide the venues of the 1980 winter and summer games toured the exhibits after an informal opening by the 1.0. C. president (Lord Killanin). CLOSED SESSION Moscow and Los Angeles were the defeated candidates four years ago when the 1.0. C. awarded the 1976 Games to Montreal. Each must present its case formally to a closed session of the 1.0. C. at the end of a long period of lobbying for votes. Also on display were pictures and colour slides illustrating the merits of Lake Placid, the New York State resort which is the only candidate to hold the 1980 Winter Olympics. The Lake Placid exhibition is the smallest — dwarfed by the lavish Soviet maps and models and well-printed colour brochures showing Moscow facilities and depicting Soviet prowess in inter--1 national sport.