IOC President Likes Leipzig's Olympic Bid

The president of the International Olympic Committee gave good grades to Leipzig's ambitious bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games after a cursory inspection on Monday. "The candidacy is well thought out," said Jacques Rogge, praising the closeness of the proposed Olympic atheltic sites and the consideration given to athletes. Leipzig is the smallest of the candidate cities, which include Havanna as well as world metropolises Rio de Janeiro, New York, Moscow, Paris, London, Madrid and Istanbul. The east German city is considered an underdog in the race to win the Olympics, both because of its size and recent scandals involving local Olympic officials. But a telephone conversation with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and a visit with Interior Minister Otto Schily were enough to convince Rogge that Leipzig will make a serious and competitive bid, he said.