New York Comes in a Disappointing Fourth Place

New York, NY —

After an eleven year marathon, 50 million dollars, and a last minute sprint, it all ended in a moment. New York came in a disappointing fourth in today’s vote in Singapore to choose a host for the 2012 summer Olympic games. WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein reports.

It looked like New York had a shot. NYC 2012 had Hillary Clinton. It had Mohammed Ali. It had President Bush and Magic Johnson via videotape. And a little more than halfway into its allotted time in its presentation last night, Mayor Bloomberg reminded the 100-odd members of the International Olympic Committee of a time in New York’s not too distant past.

BLOOMBERG: "Our city needs these games in 2012. When I became Mayor four years ago, we didn’t know what our future would be. In our city’s darkest hour, we asked ourselves, can we recover? New Yorkers stood up then and said, ‘Yes, we can recover, we will rebuild and we must continue to welcome everyone."

Observers in the hotel complex in Singapore put New York’s presentation in the top three. But the flush of the effort would not last long. IOC rules require a series of votes until one city gets a majority. After each round, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated. At 6:29 this morning, New York time, IOC president Jacques Rogge announced:

ROGGIE: The city of Moscow will not participate in the next round.

Four minutes later, came this:

ROGGIE: The City of New York will not participate in the next round.

In Singapore, members of the NYC2012 delegation fell silent. A few shed tears. Over in Rockefeller Center, where a small crowd gathered to watch the vote, shoulders slumped. Manny Caseres of Westchester sighed.

CASERES: It’s a shame. I woulda really loved teo see the games here. I think it would’ve been great for the city improving some of the facilities we have today. Making it better for future generations here. I think it would have been awesome really.

New York’s showing was much poorer than officials anticipated. Moscow was eliminated with 15 votes in the first round, New York with just 16 in the second. Bid leader Daniel Doctoroff had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to lobby IOC members and had strategized about upsetting front runner Paris. At about 7:45 am, local time, another city would have that honor.

ROGGE: The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing the games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London.

In Singapore, Mayor Bloomberg quietly hugged Senator Hillary Clinton. At a press conference, he expressed disappointment, and would not say if he would pursue a bid for the 2016 games.

BLOOMBERG: I thought now was the time, we had everything going for us. I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road. It’s a decision for another day.

As for New York’s poor showing, the Mayor was asked, did he have an analysis?

BLOOMBERG: Um, yes, the analysis is we did not get enough votes to win. (laughs)

Privately, NYC 2012 officials were at a loss to explain the outcome. They’d counted on Moscow’s votes going to New York, but in the end, none did, and New York actually lost votes from the first round. There was of, course, the stadium controversy, which absorbed most of the last year. The last minute switch to Queens, though approved, was the subject of snarky comments abroad. This was New York’s first bid – it was Paris’s third in 20 years and Britain’s fourth. Both Paris and London had huge crowds on hand to watch the vote – New York’s numbered in the dozens. And then there was the Dan Doctoroff factor. The Deputy Mayor and bid leader’s single-minded focus on the Olympics won him many admirers, but it also left plenty of detractors who called him high handed. In Singapore, as if to cut off discussion before it starts, Doctoroff said he’ll remain in his job as Deputy Mayor.

DOCTOROFF: Like the mayor said, I’m going to be back at work on Friday and I look forward to continuing to work with the mayor for as long as he would like.

Bloomberg advisors say Doctoroff is already working on an economic development agenda for a second term. And they say his Olympic project has left a lasting legacy – rezoning in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, as well as the west side of Manhattan, and planned new sports venues in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. But for some New Yorkers, like David Krasnee of the upper west side, the city dodged a bullet today.

DAVID KRASNEE: To host ‘em is such a headache. Most New Yorkers would probably leave the city if they were here or lease out their apartments or whatever.

Nearly fifty million dollars was spent on this bid, and its unclear whether a 2016 effort would be able to duplicate that. As for the Mayor, he’s on his way back to New York now. He’ll be greeted by a new poll, showing him as strong as he’s ever been. For WNYC, I’m Andrea Bernstein.