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Paris counting on defeat to winFrom Jim Bitterman QUICKVOTEYOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- Organizers of Paris 2012 say they are showing what they call "French fervor," an enthusiasm they hope will give the city the edge not always evident in the past in its bid for the Olympic Games. Paris, which hosted the Olympics in 1900 and 1924, has tried twice in recent times to host the games. But its bids for the 1992 and 2006 games were both rejected. This time, officials say, they are coming at it with more engagement and less arrogance. They are counting on defeat to help them win. Paris has been the favorite to host the 2012 Games, and when the site selection committee breezed through the city in March, their hosts pulled out all the stops. They dressed up the Eiffel Tower and Seine bridges with neon lights. The 2012 logo was plastered on government buildings, including the National Assembly and City Hall. There was an embarrassing national strike during the committee's visit, but the spin doctors for Paris 2012 said that just showed how well the city could handle two events at the same time. Besides, they say, the unions are all for the Olympics because it is believed they will create 60,000 temporary and 20,000 permanent jobs. But it is not just the jobs this city of 11.1 million people is eyeing. The French point out that while they are spending 27 million euros, more than $32 million, just to prepare the 2012 bid, the economic impact if Paris gets the nod will be many times that. Organizers estimate they will only need 4 billion euros in new construction because good transportation is already available and many event sites already exist. The French sports minister, himself once a gold medalist, says the government has long invested heavily in sports. "Many recognize the education and cultural value in sports," says Jean-Francois Lamour. In a report released in June, the International Olympic Committee gave Paris and London a slight edge in the race to win. The committee praised the "excellent accommodation proposal ... high capacity and quality metropolitan road and rail transport systems" of Paris. Three weeks ago, the city organized a mini-Olympics on Paris' busiest avenue, the Champs d'Elysees, giving the city and the world a taste of what Paris could offer. Now everyone here from bakers to bicyclists is waiting for the decision in Singapore on July 6. Perhaps as much as anything else, the French need this win -- just for the pride of victory after the two agonizing defeats of the past. 
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