It has happened. It will happen. London 2012.

Everyone that backed the bid played their part. The British Olympic committee played a blinder by focusing on economic viability, youth and global integration, and (who’d have thought) the Frenchie’s lent a hand too. Merci beaucoup!

Right up to the wire the Paris bid was the bookies favourite, but French hopes were diplomatically crippled by President Chirac’s off hand comments about British cuisine.

One cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad. – Chirac

A President; using an outdated stereotype; to curry cheap favour with other world leaders; days before his capital city hopes to win the bid for an event that promotes global harmony. Whatever was he thinking?

Chirac’s blunder was charmingly swept under the carpet by British officials, including the PM, with a dignity so understated that it made the French premiere look worse; not that he needed any help:

After Finland, [Britain] is the country with the worst food. – Chirac

A more perfect example of international in-diplomacy there could not be. The Finnish have two voting IOC members, and the vote count in the final round was 54-50 in favour of London.

You’re doing the maths already aren’t you? If Mr. Chiraq hadn’t gaffed, it would have been a dead heat, and there may have been an opportunity for Paris to clinch it.

Merci beaucoup Monsuier Chirac. May you enjoy the Haggis that you will no doubt be served at the G8 Conference in Edinburgh this week.

J’adorerai les jeux en Grande-Bretagne!