 Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva welcomed the inspectors to Moscow |
Russia's Olympic boss has reacted angrily to suggestions Moscow is the outsider to win the 2012 Games on day two of the city's inspection. "If this was only a sports question, not a political question, Moscow would be in the lead," said Russia's Olympic Committee boss Leonid Tyagachev.
Tyagachev said he feared "political questions", such as the conflict in Chechnya, could hurt Moscow's chances.
Moscow is 50-1 to land the Games behind Paris, London, Madrid and New York.
But Tyagachev insisted: "What they saw in New York, Paris, London - it feels like what we have is much better."
Security concerns are high on the agenda of the 13-strong International Olympic Committee inspection team after recent terrorist attacks as a result of its five-year war in Chechnya.
The inspectors, led by Nawal el Moutawakel of Morocco, team spent the second day of their tour visiting the proposed equestrian centre and the Luzhniki stadium complex, currently hosting the World Skating Championships.
The Moscow team believe one of the strengths of their bid is the readiness of many of its venues.
 | INSPECTION SCHEDULE Sun: IOC panel arrived Mon: Presentation of Moscow 2012 bid Tue: Tour of existing sports facilities Wed: Reception with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, plus further presentation from bid committee Thu: Visit to the Olimpiysky sports compound in downtown Moscow and the Lokomotiv Stadium |
"We are capable of hosting the Games right now," said Moscow deputy mayor Valery Shantsev, who also heads the city's Olympic bid committee.
"We plan to build and renovate all the venues that would be necessary for staging the Games no later than in 2010," Shantsev added.
"That will give all the federations a chance to hold a series of pre-Olympic tournaments here during 2010-2011."
The delegation will meet President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and tour the Kremlin.
Moscow's bid centres on its "Olympic River" concept - with most of the venues and the Olympic village alongside or near the Moscow River, and boats providing transportation.
Authorities say the city would have to spend about �6bn to stage the event, most of which would come from private sources.
The city's road system would have to be expanded, new subways built and the city's hotel capacity doubled to 61,000 rooms.
The full IOC will select the host city on July 6.
MMIX
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