And the Winner is... Leipzig

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced the German National Olympic Committee's (NOK) decision to a packed house in Munich on Saturday afternoon. Leipzig and Hamburg were running neck-and-neck until 4:40 p.m. when he finally ended the suspense. Leipzig had been designated Germany's candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and Rostock was chosen by the NOK to bid for the Olympic Sailing Competition.

"I'm pleased to congratulate Leipzig and Rostock," Schröder said. "The government will do what it can so that the bid is successful. It goes without saying that all of Germany stands behind the two cities."

More than 40,000 people celebrated the news in the streets of Leipzig.

"Thank you for giving us your confidence. This is a terrific day for Germany, a terrific day for sports." Leipzig's mayor Wolfgang Tiefensee exclaimed.

Tough requirements

Five cities submitted official proposals to the NOK in May last year to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. Leipzig vied with Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart.

The application process represented a significant challenge for bidding cities. They had to comply to a 33-page catalogue of requirements for hosting the Olympics, including the ability to provide transportation for 150,000 accredited participants and as many as 500,000 spectators on top days.

The would-be host cities were required to provide access to a minimum of 42,000 hotel rooms within 50 kilometers of the city center. The NOK also considered whether a venue had developed feasible financing for the games and what kind of environmental impact the Olympics would have on the surrounding community.

Rostock was up against Kiel, Lübeck, Stralsund and Cuxhaven.

A fresh image

Germany hasn't hosted the Olympics for 30 years. That ill-fated event continues to plague the country's Olympic history. In one of the darkest Olympic moments, Palestinian terrorists held members of the Israeli team hostage in the Olympic Village in Munich in 1972. Two teammates were killed by gunmen, and nine others died during an ill-fated rescue attempt.

Germany has long sought to refurbish its Olympic image, but the country has made seven unsuccessful bids since then, most recently campaigning to host the 2000 Summer Games in Berlin.

But Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee President, had encouraging words for the country after the decision for Leipzig was announced.

"Germany, Leipzig and Rostock have good chances. We know they are exacting in organization, have a team with good experience. Other small cities have had Olympic Games too, like Lillehammer [Norway]. Helsinki wasn't big either. We want to reduce the gigantism," Rogge said.