Japan's highest-ranked sports official in the Olympic movement, Chiharu Igaya, believes the four cities bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games are "neck and neck" entering the home straight.
Igaya, one of four vice presidents of the International Olympic Committee, thinks the final presentations of Tokyo, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid will be the decisive factor when the vote takes place in Copenhagen on Oct. 2.
Speaking on the sidelines of an international sports forum in Incheon, South Korea, last week, Igaya said: "All of us are quite nervous at this moment because in our opinion all four cities are neck and neck right now. Never before has the presentation played such an important role in capturing the minds of the IOC members to have their votes.