IOC team was unaware of Moscow attack

MOSCOW, March 18 (UPI) -- Olympic inspectors in Moscow to appraise the city as a possible host of the 2012 games were unaware of the assassination attempt on a prominent business figure.

At a news conference Thursday, the last day of their visit, the Olympic evaluation commission said that they only learned about the attack on Russian businessman Anatoly Chubais when reporters asked them about it, The Moscow Times reported Friday.

"We have been all day on site visits, so we are not aware of this problem," commission chairwoman Nawal el-Moutawakel said.

Although security was a major issue discussed during the four-day visit, commission members said they had received all the guarantees they needed from the Russian side.

The commission refrained from commenting on the bids of Moscow and its four rival cities -- Paris, London, New York and Madrid.

Moscow's bid is seen as a long shot, especially after an earlier International Olympic Committee report criticized its shortage of tourist accommodations and problems with transportation and pollution. Terrorist attacks in Moscow last year only highlighted the security risks connected with holding major sporting events in the city.

The IOC will announce the winning city in Singapore on July 6.