Thanks, But...

Perhaps Sebastian Coe should have been trusted after all. Before the big vote on Wednesday for the right to host the Summer Olympics of 2012, he had reportedly told journalists that he "never gets nervous" and will not start now.

In the end, London pipped apparent long-time favourites Paris 54-50 to win in the fourth round of voting.

Paris was the apparent favourite, after coming in tops in the 2 evaluation reports that the International Olympic Committee released in the last year. But London went from third in the first, to an unofficial second place in the second report released in June this year.

But this article is not about a news analysis about the Anglo-Saxon bias that the Parisians are claiming or whether London defeated the competition fair and square. Neither is it about how the potent combination of the Londoners' slick presentation, Blair's superior lobbying skills and Coe's charisma that won the day.

It's about the public's mostly apathetic reaction to the 117th IOC Session that concluded yesterday.

Personally, I thought this event was an example of making a mountain out of a molehill. I mean, do you actually recall the city that hosted the last IOC Session? Or the IOC Session where Beijing got elected to host the 2008 Olympics? (For the record, the answers are Mexico City 2002 and Moscow 2000 respectively.)

The daily spread of IOC-related news in the local daily served to accentuate the molehill that was a mountain in the eyes of Singaporean offical-dom.

It is good for Singapore, the naysayers insisted. It will bring in S$40 million into the economy, and it will showcase the republic's ability to host international sporting championships. It also gives local sports a chance to network.

Oh really? Up till now, the magical figure of S$40 million has yet to be quantified. Besides, it is a projected amount, based on assumed figures.

It was inequivocably shameless plugging ad naseum.

In the days leading right up to the commencement of the conference, foreign newspapers ran articles detailing how the Lion City has turned the art of hosting a previously-unheralded event into an art.

Okay. Maybe it's because the race to host 2012 is the first of its kind after strict ethical guidelines were put into place after the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games fiasco. And 5 world cities bidding to host the Olympics for the first time in history.

And the world's media attention was momentarily diverted to Singapore for the whole of a week.

But despite the mammoth efforts, it was arguably the simple things that created the biggest boo-boo - examples of bad press abounds.

Like the video of Singapore a la the bid city presentations that were meant to showcase the country to the world. The broadcast was a botched one and it made us look more than third-country. Like the 3 singers who slaughtered the Olympic anthem - in a manner worse than how Sylvester slaughtered that song from Phantom he sang on Singapore Idol.

Like the toilets nearest the convention centre that had urinals constantly choked. Like the press room that was hard pressed for space.

But generally the organisation was great. As efficient as people would associate Singapore to be.

Don't get me wrong. I think it was a unique international opportunity for me. I wouldn't get to travel as an intern, and it's not everyday I get to meet Raul, Alexei Nemov, David Beckham, Sir Bobby Charlton, Arantza Sanchez-Vicario, Alexander Popov, Ian Thorpe, Cathy Freeman, Jacques Chirac, Sepp Blatter, Hilary Clinton, Ken Livingstone and Tony Blair on a daily basis.

Plus I got to talk to media from abroad and managed to network a bit in the process.

But most importantly, I found out what it feels like to have to create news out of nothing. And chase my news source and never give up. And stick to them like the plague.

I also found out the surest way to catch IOC members is to wait outside the toilets that the delegates frequent. I got about 15 quotes in 3 hours that day.

But at the end of the day, I thought while the event merited hype, the manner Singapore went about it bordered a little bit on the distasteful.

Like how PM Lee weaved in a comparison between Singapore and the 5 bid cities - just as each of the 5 cities are looking at the Olympics as a catalyst to renew their urban landscape, Singapore is also looking to do the same with the Integrated Resorts and what not.

Perhaps it was Singaporean, to a fault.

I am just glad the crazy chase for stories and the 1am days are over for now.