Chapter 7 Tears in Monte Carlo

Somehow, I have formed an indissoluble bond with a series of activities in Beijing's bid to host the 2000 Olympic Games.From the Olympic knowledge competition, to accompanying the IOC delegation to visit CCTV, to various cultural evenings with the theme of bidding for the Olympic Games, I shuttled between them and never tired of it.My English hosting has been well received by international people, including Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the International Olympic Committee, and the leaders of the Beijing Olympic Bidding Committee have also encouraged me many times.During the chat, they even said: "Yang Lan, if the bid is successful, we will give you a medal." Mr. He Zhenliang, who was the first vice president of the International Olympic Committee at that time, shook my hand and said to me: "Thank you very much, you gave me a medal." We Chinese are up to the challenge.” Mr. He Zhenliang himself is proficient in several foreign languages, enjoys a high reputation in the international sports circle, and his demeanor is quite like a diplomat.According to his status, he can completely assume the authority of a superior to me, a fledgling junior.But he is as close and generous as his elders, and his sincerity and sincerity moved me.

In mid-September 1993, the Beijing delegation to host the 2000 Olympic Games, led by Vice Premier Li Lanqing, left Beijing for Monte Carlo by civil aviation plane.A week later, the IOC voting ceremony will be held there.The Olympic Bidding Committee specially invited me to go with it, and decided that if the bid was successful, I would host a grand celebration banquet in this famous city on the Mediterranean Sea.I thought to myself that the very invitation reflected the cautious optimism of the delegation at the time.Someone said to me mysteriously: "A certain qigong master has tested it and said that this Olympic Games must belong to us." I was naturally very excited to experience this event with special significance to China at the turning point of the century.So I specially ordered two sets of dresses, and all the matching jewelry were ordered from Hong Kong.The fashion designer assured me that both styles were the popular tastes of European high society at that time, and they would never collapse when worn out.In front of the full-length mirror, I repeatedly designed my language, demeanor and even gestures - I have never spent so much thought on presiding over any other ceremony!

If the job of other members of the delegation is to strive for the ultimate success of the bid, then my participation is a bit of icing on the cake.I even feel that if I have nothing to do at the critical moment of the bid, but I have to show off on the day of success, I feel too uneasy to go down the mountain to pick peaches.So as soon as I arrived in Monte Carlo, I took the initiative to apply to work with reporters from the Sports Department of CCTV.Mr. Song Shixiong is in charge of participating in press conferences, interviewing characters and dubbing work in the conference center every day. I will go out with another film crew to shoot some soft feature films, introducing the history, customs and social activities related to the bid for Monaco.

Monaco is a pocket country, only 1.90 square kilometers.The north is surrounded by mountains, the south is adjacent to the sea, and the long and narrow strip in the middle is the entire territory.Looking down from the golf course on the top of the mountain, the blue bay is full of white yachts, and the vast and pure Mediterranean stretches to infinity. You can only see the warm sunshine and the dancing seagulls, which is really a paradise.Monte Carlo is the capital of Monaco. Its main blocks include some ancient castles scattered high and low on the cliffs facing the sea, which are particularly majestic.The most splendid building in the city is the casino - CASINO.I don't know if it's one of the biggest casinos in the world, but in terms of its architecture and decoration, it's probably second to none.This is simply a huge palace.The symmetrical curved stone steps in front of the gate make the already tall and straight building even more brilliant.The red-carpeted hall is filled with antiques and famous paintings, and every table and chair is decorated with exquisite gold-inlaid carvings, showing some age.If it weren't for those fluorescent slot machines (coin betting machines) reminding people that this is a casino, you'd really think you'd walked into an art museum.The casino is divided into five floors, the higher the level, the more luxurious the decoration.On the top floor, it is said that there are only a few single rooms, which are places for big gamblers to spend a lot of money and spend a lot of money.Every night, when the lights are on, all kinds of expensive sports cars are parked in front of the CASINO, and handsome men and women in evening gowns come down from the CASINO to solemnly participate in one of the oldest games of mankind: gambling.In fact, the gambling industry is the mainstay of Monaco's economy. The principality's flag has a red and white rhombus, just like a playing card. I don't know if it's a coincidence.

Our film crew was allowed to enter the ground floor of the CASINO to film.It was around ten o'clock in the morning. Under the supervision of a manager, two workers were taking out the plastic cylinders from the slot machines one by one, pouring the coins full of them into a big bag.Thinking of some gamblers the night before because Surprised by the thousands of francs earned on the slot machines, Bibi Casino's income is nothing short of nothing.Only then did I specifically understand that the casino owner is the winner who never loses.The manager of the supervisor was a little displeased when he saw the "grand event" of collecting money captured by our camera. He came over and whispered something to the public relations manager who accompanied us. Such scenes must not be aired.Beg us to demagnetize it on the spot, or his job will be gone.Seeing him in a neat suit, who had been reserved like a gentleman just now, now panicked and sweating, we really felt sorry for him.Anyway, the value of these lenses is not great, just cancel it.Before leaving, the manager took our hand, thank you very much.At this time, the competition outside the CASINO is also in full swing.Delegations from Sydney, Manchester, Berlin and Istanbul, the bidding cities, arrived in Monte Carlo one after another.Senior officials of the International Olympic Committee stayed at the Prince Hotel.As a result, the square outside this hotel has become a place of contention for all parties, and various performances are often held there.The Beijing delegation was accompanied by a female choir composed of middle school students.They have won the International Children's Choir Award.These delicate and delicate girls, dressed in neat and beautiful school uniforms, were very cute and well-behaved, which attracted the praise of passers-by.In contrast, Sydney's public relations team is more massive and less rigid.It was hundreds of adults wearing promotional T-shirts, waving brightly colored balloons, scattered in the streets and alleys.When you see passers-by, you will warmly present a baseball cap, or pin a commemorative medal for them, and enthusiastically ask: "Sydney is a sunny city, and the Olympic Games should be held there." Even the seafood near the conference center Restaurants were also moved by them, and countless Sydney flags were hung.It's hard not to be moved by such overwhelming enthusiasm.In contrast, our offensive by relying on a few children is a bit weaker.So there was a voice in the Beijing delegation saying: "Didn't we also bring a few houses of gifts? We should also go to the streets to distribute them!" It is said that another opinion prevailed: "These gifts will not be distributed until the bid is successful." Yes, it’s glowing now, what should I do then?” ——Hey, why are you so brain-dead.If it really wins, so what if you don't post anything, the key is the current public relations image!

We then distributed some gifts one after another.Such as T-shirts, backpacks and so on.But a British photojournalist said to our videographer: "Remember the backpack you gave me with the Beijing and the Five Rings logo on it? I don't want to embarrass you, but that bag broke after two days of use. If you use it to hold heavy lenses, you must be careful not to damage the equipment." Seeing that people seriously remind us of the "quality problem" in good faith, we Chinese reporters are not in the heart taste. As the day of voting approaches, the offensive in cities has intensified.World-class sports stars from various countries appeared in public places in Monte Carlo, signed autographs and cheered for their country's delegation.I went to interview more than a dozen world champions accompanying the Chinese tour group, but they were on standby in the hotel where they stayed. As I was interviewing, I felt uneasy: I invited so many world champions to Monte Carlo just to show off in the hotel. National prestige?

During the rehearsal of the voting ceremony, we saw the TV promotional video of Beijing.With all due respect, that film is just repeating a few inherent visual images: an old man practicing Tai Chi and a child holding flowers.It is neither as impactful as Sydney's promotional video, nor as artistically pursued as Manchester's.I saw the old man pushing his palm slowly, and the children waved flowers in front of the Temple of Heaven.Is this Beijing?Is this sports?It is said that several main leaders of the Olympic Bidding Office watched this film and said nothing: it is already at this time, and it is too late to say anything.

In this way, the optimism and self-satisfaction that came to Monte Carlo for the first time was gradually eroded: we still lack public relations experience in the international community, which is a fact that everyone tacitly accepts.We don't show our enthusiasm by showering champagne at press conferences like the mayor of Sydney, nor do we have the soft-spoken tactics of a female prime minister in Turkey. At this moment, Sydney threw out its trump card, announcing that it would bear the travel expenses of all athletes' families, while some foreign newspapers criticized Beijing for resorting to crowd-crowding tactics in order to bid for the Olympics, instead of focusing more on specific environmental improvements.This was originally a topic that was not difficult to refute, but at this moment, it was reported in China that a "feat" of 100,000 people went to the Great Wall, and it was rumored that a huge amount of satellite broadcast fees would be spent to transmit this "grand event" to Monte Carlo. Luo's IOC members.We couldn't help complaining secretly, thinking: "Don't make any more trouble, this kind of thing doesn't work here."

The day of voting finally arrived. Mr. Song Shixiong and I were in charge of broadcasting live voting to domestic audiences.To be honest, everyone has no idea. Finally, the committee members voted and entered the conference site one after another.Someone hurried to the Beijing delegation seat and whispered.It is said that the faces of several leaders suddenly changed at that time.On the rostrum, Mr. Samaranch announced the voting results: "Thanks to Beijing, Berlin, Istanbul and Manchester for their enthusiasm and active participation in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, there is only one winner—Sydney." This sentence was translated by me on the spot.This is also the most disappointing thing I have ever said in my life, although it is only a translation.

The Sydney delegation burst into cheers, and the dozen or so choir girls in the Beijing delegation burst into tears.Only one vote short, of course wronged.But after all, it is not wrong to say that it is one vote short - if we win by a majority of one vote, we will definitely take Sydney's loss for granted.But when it was his turn, it was really unpleasant.Our existing gymnasium is not as advanced as others, the air in Beijing is not as clean as in Sydney, and we can't say that we can afford the accommodation of athletes' families. There is too much politics in sports.Differences in ideology and culture make it easy for several other bid cities to form an alliance to contend with China.There are also power contests within the International Olympic Committee, and the behind-the-scenes transactions are beyond the knowledge of us ordinary people.It is said that some members of the Olympic Committee made two-sided promises-I suddenly remembered that CASIN0 that would never lose money, only they were the eternal winners.But this is all speculation.An undercurrent surged in the bright sunshine of Monte Carlo, which people could smell but couldn't catch.

But we also seem to be comforted by such a close score.After all, we have made great efforts, although the defeat is glorious.Nearly half of the committee members believe that when the new century comes, the number one event in the international sports world should be handed over to a rising China. Doesn't their confidence inspire us?In fact, the Chinese can host any Olympic Games, and they don't necessarily have to be too hard on themselves in order to lose the special "status" of 2000.Moreover, the competition between cities does not need to rise to the honor and disgrace of the country.Winning or losing is a common matter in military affairs, so we should have a sense of normalcy. These pros and cons reasons, I seem to say to myself.I am alternately lucid, confused, objective, and aggrieved.With such complicated feelings in mind, I packed my bags and embarked on the journey back home.On the plane, the female students in the choir sang to encourage the depressed adults.There was sadness in the cabin.I suddenly realized deeply: Yes, future generations may be able to calmly analyze the success or failure of this time.For them, that's just a case in point where research has become history.But for everyone who directly participated in the bid, this is a personal pain and an emotional wave that is difficult to heal.Mr. He Zhenliang no longer serves as the first vice president of the International Olympic Committee. For him, it may be the only time to personally participate in the bid for the Olympic Games.And Mr. He himself has been exhausted these days. We can imagine how many difficulties he has, but we can't really understand him.With the support of others, the old man who devoted himself to sports in China and the world walked from the front cabin to the back cabin, shaking hands and thanking every member of the delegation.There was sobbing in the cabin.When he walked up to me, I held his hand and said, "You have to take care of your health! Keep the green hills here,..." He looked at me again with extremely kind and sincere eyes and said, "Yang Lan, I invite you I'm here to prepare a celebration banquet. I'm sorry for making you come here for nothing." I couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and held his hand tightly, speechless. The Monte Carlo under him has gradually disappeared, leaving only the sea and the sky, as if nothing happened.Monte Carlo, I'm really sorry to say goodbye to you like this. However, unwillingness means hope.