Paris 2012 Olympics vote: World on tenterhooks

There are now just two days remaining until a decision is to be made on who is to host the 2012 Paris Olympics.

Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, will announce which of the six bids has been successful during a star-studded ceremony on 6 July. Only then will the world finally know where the Paris games will be taking place.

For the 2012 Paris games the IOC has broken with tradition by choosing to award the Olympics to the city that submits what insiders are calling the "best bid". This is a dramatic departure from previous years where games were awarded based on a complicated computer formula that took into account a variety of factors such as the quality of hotel rooms available to IOC members and the total weight of gifts delivered by host cities to the IOC.

After the departure of Go Airline's founder Barbara Cassani, the London bid has been spearheaded by former Olympic Champion Lord Sebastian "Seb" Coe of Sheffield.

It is widely thought that Lord Coe's role as William Hague's right-hand man during the 2001 General Election campaign has provided him with unrivalled experience. The lessons he learnt whilst orchestrating a long, drawn-out campaign that was never going to finish anything better than second continue to be invaluable.

Under Coe's leadership the London bid has largely gone from strength to strength, but it has not been immune from minor setbacks.

For example, only last month the IOC controversially ruled that the Clay Pigeon Shooting event must only use regulation clay discs and not live birds. This decision removed the chance to utilise one of London's few remaining sporting venues, the Crystal Palace swimming pool in south London, and its famously plentiful supply of pigeons.

Further problems arose with the news that a journey across London by tube would not be officially recognised as an endurance event, disregarding the huge mental and physical strain that participants are subjected to.

Despite these minor failures Lord Coe has said that he is very confident. "I'm very confident," he said during his most recent press-conference. "I think everyone involved with the London bid would agree that really the only thing we have to fear is a near neighbour with vastly superior facilities and significantly greater experience of hosting major international sporting events."

"Let us not forget that London has more buses painted to promote the bid, per head of population, than any other bidding city. And yes — I did win two Olympic gold medals,” he curtly comcluded.

In Singapore, meanwhile, Tony Blair arrived last night to make a last-minute and desperate pitch for the London bid. The PM enthused: "I think London's bid is fantastic, we're really proud of it. It's got the support of the British people, of all the political parties, and the country's right behind it."

And right behind Blair was culture, media and sport minister Tessa Jowell who cooed: "This is the last lap, the final push — there is absolutely everything to play for," before whipping off her Team UK blazer to reveal a toned and tanned body clad only in Seb Coe Union Jack split-crotch panties and red, white and blue nipple tassels.

Her amorous advances were immediately rejected by French IOC committee member Jean-Claude Killy, although a visibly-aroused Russian Alexander Popov suggested the pair "pop off and examine my breaststroke technique".

We in Britain can only hope that Ms Jowell's watersports technique is enough to swing Popov and secure the games for Blighty. Meanwhile, as the world awaits the final result with bated breath, readers should note that ticket and hotel room sales are available right now at www.2012frencholympics.com and www.parisolympicbookings.com.

Previously

• Pie eaters wreck London Olympic bid
• London Olympic bid 'in the bag'
• Those UK Olympic prospects in full