Mike the Progressive wrote:In any case, I'd like Istanbul, because it would be a first for the Arab world.
Turkey is not part of the Arab world. Most Turks are not Arabs.
Speaking purely out of self-interest as a Frenchman, I hope Madrid doesn't get it. Sorry to all Spaniards, but if you get the 2020 Games, that completely rules out any hope for France getting them in 2024. And we haven't had the Summer Olympics in this country since 1924, damn it! Having them back for the centennial would be nice.
Between Istanbul and Tokyo, I have no clear preference. I'm sure both would put on good Games. I'd perhaps lean slightly to Istanbul, on the grounds that they haven't had it yet - and that it might help develop positive interest in Turkey among Europeans. (That is, unless the IOC considers that 2020 Games in Turkey prohibit any European country from hosting in 2024. In which case, go Tokyo! )