Tokyo gets most IOC praise in technical report

London • Less than three months before the IOC vote, Tokyo received the most praise in a technical assessment of the three cities bidding for the 2020 Olympics on Tuesday.

The IOC evaluation report said Tokyo, Istanbul and Madrid all offer "high quality" bids and present their own "unique approach" to hosting the Summer Games. The report touched on the financial crisis in Spain, saying Madrid's Olympic project was feasible despite the recession. The report was finalized in April and did not address the anti-government protests that have swept across Turkey recently and raised questions about Istanbul's bid.

Overall, Tokyo received the most glowing marks from the report, which described the Japanese capital as "a modern, dynamic city that sets global trends" and praised its compact venue plans and "one of the most modern and efficient public transport systems in the world."

The 110-page report, which is designed as a risk analysis, does not rank or grade the cities. But the document lays out strengths and weaknesses with details closely watched by the candidate cities as they head into the final stages of the race.

All three can take positives from the report, which was prepared for International Olympic Committee members ahead of a briefing by the bid cities next week in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC will select the host city by secret ballot on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before the vote, the cities will make their final direct presentations to the members.