Five Cities, Five Rings: The Tom Humphries verdict

Paris

Population: 2,150,000.

Previous Games: 1900, 1924.

Failed bids: 2008, 1992.

Games budget: €2.9bn.

Transport/venues: €4.7bn.

Tickets: 8,500,000, €10.50-€187.

2012 dates: July 27th- Aug 12th.

Bid slogan: Love Of The Games.

Assessment: The French hope to locate the Games in two "clusters" to the north and west of the city centre linked by a ring road. Paris is bidding for the third time in recent years and was first into the race on this occasion. The city went into first place on the first IOC ranking of the cities and has stayed there. Why? Weather, iconic backdrops, existing facilities, romance, experience. The problems with making it all happen are harder to quantify. French industrial relations are still comparatively revolutionary and tens of thousands of public workers downed tools during a recent IOC visit.

The status of favourite has become something of a burden paralysing the French into a reluctance to make any moves whatsoever. They have lost a little politically too. Guy Drut, the more affable of their IOC members, is under investigation by a tribunal back home and so as not to taint the bid will not be travelling to Singapore. Jacques Chirac has been damaged by the recent EU referendum.

London

Population: 7,300,000.

Previous Games: 1908, 1948.

Failed bids: 2000, 1996 (Manchester), 1992 (Birmingham).

Games budget: €1.9bn.

Transport/venues: €12.45bn.

Tickets: 8,000,000, €22.50-€82.

2012 dates: July 27th-Aug 12th.

Bid slogan: Make Britain Proud.

Assessment: Good bid centring the Games around a new park in East London, thus regenerating one of the poorest parts of the capital. London has been responsive and brought proposed venues such as shooting and mountain biking closer to the East End as the IOC likes centralisation.

Birmingham and Manchester in the past have been just as competent but failed to impress. London came into the race late but impressed with the strength of their technical bid. Infrastructure worries remain a problem and one IOC member even travelled on the London underground incognito to sample its effectiveness.

Tony Blair's enthusiastic backing has been a plus. Ken Livingstone's stand on Israel and an attempt to use preferential flights for athletes as a means of starting a bidding war with Paris have been the negatives. No more than the English weather the English media isn't something IOC grandees will fancy being exposed to.

New York

Population: 8,100,000.

Previous Games: None (Atlanta 1996, Los Angeles 1984 and 1932, St Louis 1904).

Failed bids: None.

Games budget: €2.3bn.

Transport/venues: €5.9bn.

Tickets: 12,000,000, €19.50-€352.

2012 dates: July 27th-Aug 12th.

Bid slogan: Let The Games Begin.

Assessment: What might have been. The New Yorkers put together a lively team with the surprisingly affable and able Mayor Michael Bloomberg willing to rack up the air miles in the company of Atlanta veteran Charlie Battle. The bid gained momentum quickly and lost it just as fast.

The plan was to locate almost all venues along two routes which would intersect like an "X" at the Olympic village at a waterfront site across the river Hudson. The debacle of the Olympic stadium killed a campaign that struggled from the time the Iraq war began. New York lobbied tirelessly and rolled out the glamour in the form of movie stars who swanked it with IOC nabobs. There were problems with dissenting local groups, however, and the New Yorkers go to Singapore in something of a catch 22. George W Bush won't be there to lobby, which may be just as well. Yet his absence provides an excuse to IOC members to take umbrage.

The bid is dead and could get buried as early as the first round.

Madrid

Population: 3,200,000.

Previous Games: None (Barcelona 1992).

Failed bids: 2008, 2004 (Seville), 1972 (Madrid), 1936, 1924 (Barcelona).

Games budget: €1.6bn.

Transport/venues: €1.2bn.

Tickets: 8,230,000, €9-€299.

2012 dates: Aug 10th-26th.

Bid slogan: Ready For You.

Assessment: Fine bid with just about everything already in place and almost the entire games taking place in three clusters within a six-mile radius. A green games and an inexpensive games.

Made the early running on the shoulder of Paris but have run into trouble domestically. The IOC evaluation team inspected the city's main convention centre last year and a few days later ETA planted a car bomb there.

Strong local support and the good memories of the Barcelona Games work in the city's favour but the bid was further damaged by the instances of racial abuse levelled at English players during a soccer international in the city this year.

Other factors: Madrid officials will remain concerned about any threat from the Basque separatist group ETA

Moscow

Population: 10,400,000.

Previous Games: 1980.

Failed bids: 1976 (Moscow), 2004 (St Petersburg).

Games budget: €1.4bn.

Transport/venues: £7.9bn.

Tickets: 7,300,000, €3.90-€72.

2012 dates: July 14th-29th.

Bid slogan: Imagine It Now.

Assessment: The Olympics came to Moscow in greyer times so why not come again? The bid is superficially attractive, necklacing venues along the Moscow River and using the river itself as a primary transport artery. The Lushniki Olympic stadium would be upgraded to once again host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics.

The problems are many, however, and the IOC have questions over infrastructure, accommodation, legacy, safety, security and technical matters.

Never had a realistic chance of winning and ongoing difficulties the Russian capital faces with Chechen rebels finished the argument. They have, however, continued campaigning gamely and come to Singapore with a chance of avoiding last place and even influencing the overall outcome.