Bush Backs Atlanta’s Bid to Host 1996 Olympic Games

President Bush today made a pitch for Atlanta to host the 1996 Summer Olympics and promised not to let politics intrude.

Bush, after addressing a broadcasters convention, visited a scale-model exhibit of proposed and existing sport facilities that the Atlanta Organizing Committee is using in its bid to win the Games.

Bush greeted several members of the International Olympic Committee.

“I don’t want to put the hard sell on anybody, but I feel very strongly about it, and I also believe it is very good for the Olympics to . . . come to the United States right often,” Bush said.

The United States boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Soviet Union in turn stayed away from the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

“We’ve got to keep politics out of the Olympic Games, and we will try very hard to do it,” Bush said.

Bush listened to Billy Payne, the head of the Atlanta committee, explain Atlanta’s plans. Payne said he told the international visitors that the South has never hosted the Olympics.

He called it a region with 70 million people who have never been exposed to some of the Games.

“Our children grow up playing American football and basketball and baseball and they’ve never had the opportunity to be exposed to some of these other sports,” such as fencing, judo, wrestling and badminton, Payne said.

Payne said a decision is due Sept. 18 and he views Athens, Greece; Melbourne, Australia and Toronto, as Atlanta’s main competition.

When Bush asked the international visitors if this was “part of a worldwide tour,” Payne interjected, “Unfortunately, they go to all the competing countries.”

One of the international guests said that wasn’t unfortunate at all and they had to give everyone a chance.

Bush agreed, adding, “We don’t want to let you out without at least knowing the President’s interested in having you come to Atlanta.”