Edition: U.S. / Global  Sports of The Times; 2012 Olympic
Chances Are Dim for New York  Published: May 23, 2004  IN its
furious campaign to be the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics, New
York has to overcome much more than having faded to fourth in
the International Olympic Committee's current appraisal of
possible sites -- behind Paris, Madrid and London.  As if
Paris's being ahead of New York in all 11 preparation categories
and Madrid's being ahead in 9 wasn't daunting enough, as
announced last Tuesday, New York's chances won't depend only on
a go-ahead for the proposed West Side stadium that the Jets will
eventually use for football.  More important, New York's chances
will also turn on the United States' worldwide political and
Olympic image when 125 I.O.C. members from more than 40
countries gather in Lausanne, Switzerland, for the vote that
will precede the July 5, 2005, announcement of the 2012 site.
At the moment, America's political and Olympic images need to be
cleansed. But is there enough time? An