Athens

With 80 per cent of the facilities already in place, a city filled with stunning backdrops and charming people, plus a history which goes to the heart of the Olympic ideal, one would wonder just what it is that Athens lacks. One word. Influence.

Greece has an 80,000-seat Olympic stadium ready and waiting. It is surrounded by a sports complex which is a triumph of modern design, including a magnificent 20,000-seat indoor basketball court, two swimming pools, a velodrome and three tennis show courts.

Athens plans to spend $332 million on the remainder of the sports facilities which will be ready by 2002. The $290million Olympic Village will be financed by private investors. Seven major infrastructural projects worth $6.8 billion (and EU funded) are already in progress, including a new Athens metro, a new airport, highways, bridges and investments in telecommunications.

Athens has fought a less than streetwise campaign, however, and an empty stadium on the first days of the World Athletics Championships didn't help. Campaign outlay: $21 million Odds: 2/1

Rome

The Favourite. With four Italian IOC members, including IAAF chief Primo Nebiolo, already onside, Rome has a head start in terms of influence. The only bidding city to have hosted a post-war Olympiad (and a World Cup final), Rome has a splendid Olympic stadium and a range of other facilities set amidst the fascistic kitsch of the Foro Italico.

The Italian government has guaranteed $1.5 billion for necessary infrastructural projects. The Olympic stadium had a $220 million re-fit for the 1990 World Cup. Rome has also done a more intensive lobby than any other contender. Even the World Athletics Championships in Athens were a platform for Rome, with high-profile athletes announcing their endorsement of the Rome candidacy.

Like Athens, the biggest drawback which the city faces is the traffic which chokes its arteries during daylight hours. Campaign outlay: $9 million. Odds: 8/11

Cape Town

It's a long shot but Cape Town could emerge as the surprise winner. The city has everything the IOC likes. A beautiful multi-racial city in a land on the threshold of a new era. Giving the games to Cape Town would be a gesture of sufficient historical moment to satisfy many Olympian egos. However, their best chance lies in the split of the European voting bloc between three cities and the impact which Nelson Mandela will make on the assembled delegates when he arrives for the final two days of deliberations in Lausanne.

Problems? Lots of crime. Poor support among the black community. Campaign outlay: $25 million. Odds: 11/2

Stockholm

Eight arson attacks and two explosions have all but wiped Stockholm's bid to host the 2004 Games. A little-known group called We Who Built Sweden has claimed responsibility for the attacks. They believe that the money should be devoted to solving social problems.

The internal strife is a pity. Stockholm compiled a technically-flawless bid with a 70,000-seat stadium, situated just 200 metres from an Olympic village which would become quality community housing after the games. The bid's opponents have promised, however, that should Stockholm get the Olympic Games, poison arrows will be shot with blowpipes and air pistols at both athletes and certain people of high ranking. The IOC, considering themselves to be among the latter group, are unlikely to be enamoured.

The acknowledged second choice of many, it is unlikely that the city will stay in the race long enough to benefit. Campaign outlay: $25 million Odds: 15/1

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has apparently pleasantly surprised the IOC members who have visited. Most venues are situated in a 14 km `Olympic corridor' which, after the fiascos of Atlanta, would please competitors and spectators alike.

There are lingering concerns over a lack of accommodation and fears that a country addicted to soccer may not be sufficiently passionate about other major Olympic sports such as athletics and gymnastics, resulting in the television producers nightmare of empty venues. On the plus side Buenos Aires offers perfect scheduling possibilities for the all-powerful NBC network in the US.

They have 75 per cent of the required facilities already in place, but problems seem likely with the city's antiquated airport and transport systems. Campaign outlay: $20 million. Odds: 12/1