USOC Selects New York, but San Francisco Bay Area Proud of Bid for 2012 Olympic Games

PRESS RELEASE: BASOC 2012

November 2, 2002 -- COLORADO SPRINGS, CO: “I’d like to congratulate NYC2012, Mayor Bloomberg and Dan Doctoroff. The San Francisco Bay Area wishes New York good luck in the international competition to host the 2012 Olympic Games. We know you have worked very hard.

I’d like to thank the United States Olympic Committee for honoring San Francisco as a Finalist for U.S. Candidate for the 2012 Olympic Games and for those Boardmembers today who supported our vision for the Olympic Games.

Of course, we’re deeply disappointed. And today I feel the most for so many people in the San Francisco Bay Area who have worked so hard these past three years to bring the Olympic Games to the place we love and are lucky to call our home. But at the same time, we’re very, very proud. Proud of the transparent and ethical way we conducted ourselves. Proud of the overwhelming community support for our bid. Proud of our financially responsible, low-risk bid that put the athletes first. Proud of our efforts to leave great legacies in the environment, technology and athlete-training for the future of the Olympic Movement.

But most of all we’re proud of our people – from our Boardmembers to our volunteers. We didn’t win this vote today, but the people of the Bay Area deserve congratulations anyway. Congratulations to the Bay Area’s elected and community leadership, which brought a new level of cooperation and vision for the Bay Area that we’re committed to continuing.

The people of the Bay Area are committed to achieving and living the Olympic ideals. It’s who we are, it’s what we represent, it’s why we choose to live in the one of the greatest, most inspiring, most beautiful places on earth. We will never stop promoting the ideals of the Olympic Games as we strive to achieve the goals of the original Olympic Charter – to build a better and more peaceful world by educating youth through sport.”