Rome, 22 February the cities bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games will only be officially announced after the IOC has received all the bids within the 1 September deadline, but the Italian capital is already set to join the melee.

After a series of contacts and much hesitation, it was finally from the world of sport that the bid committee for Rome 2020 decided to choose as its Chair Mario Pescante, the very well known, highly respected and experienced sports leader.

With a strong background in the world of sport, having been CONI President, then President of the European Olympic Committees, government commissioner for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, and now as Vice President of the IOC, Pescante has accepted this new challenge that will see him once more involved in promoting Italian sport across the world something he certainly does excellently well.