51.   Verbruggen, a Dutch national, was chairman of the IOC evaluation commission which visited candidate cities for the Games to assess their technical and organizational capabilities.

52.   Despite stressing its neutrality amongst the other candidate cities - Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Stuttgart - the minister said he was enthusiastic about Leipzig.

53.   Representatives from candidate cities go before an Olympic Committee panel this week.

54.   The IAAF will brief the candidate cities on the requirements to hold the event enabling them to submit detailed bids by the end of February.