The most heavyweight battle in bid history is underway after Games chiefs gave five cities the go ahead to fight it out to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

London, Paris, New York, Madrid and Moscow were selected as candidate cities, setting up an intriguing race.

There are no lame ducks in the line-up, only cities of great historical, political and financial might. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the winner in July 2005.

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Tuesday's report by the IOC Candidature Acceptance Working Group was a wake-up call for some and a major confidence boost for others.

Within minutes of the shortlist being drawn up, theory, conjecture and speculation swept the home of the Olympic movement.

But all that is known for sure is no city is safe from being cut, and that the battlelines will now be drawn.

IOC experts analysed a number of criteria including government support, general infrastructure, transport and security when deciding on the shortlist.

As four years ago, Paris scored top marks overall for its bid.

It is a solid bid which ticks all the boxes, adds a dash of French élan to the Olympics and earmarks Paris as favourite to win the race.

Bidding for the third successive occasion, the French capital lost out to Beijing for the 2008 Games, Paris has had plenty of time to hone its bid, to build stadiums and to get the infrastructure in place.

After the uncertainty of Athens and the gigantism of the Beijing Games it would be a safe and compact host, a return to basic Olympic values.

Madrid's report was the biggest surprise. Former IOC president, Spain's Juan Antonio Samaranch, made an unexpected trip to Lausanne which cannot have harmed that bid's profile. But from initially being considered an outsider, the Spanish capital has vaulted into second place in the favourites' list.

GLOWING REPORT

The Spaniards received a glowing report, finishing marginally below Paris. Madrid scored highly across the board and has moved into serious contention.

Several IOC insiders believe the fact Rio de Janeiro was rejected as a candidate will help Madrid, which may now win the Latin American vote.

London's report was a bittersweet affair. While the city was criticised for transport and environmental concerns, and the IOC questioned the support the English capital had for the bid, it remains a strong candidate.

New York also fared well. The anti-American sentiment caused by the invasion of Iraq appears to have been cancelled out by pro-New York sentiment following the attacks on the city in September 2001.

The IOC was impressed by New York's effort to reach out to community groups and noted there was evidence of political, trade union, media, business and nationality group support.

The fact there are four European bids could also favour the U.S. city if the Europeans split the vote.

Moscow is perhaps the outsider on the shortlist and when IOC president Jacques Rogge stressed a city could still be dropped before the July 6, 2005 deadline, many IOC insiders thought this was a veiled threat to the Russians.

Having staged the Games in 1980, a Moscow win seems unlikely to all but the most optimistic observers.

The IOC experts said as much.

"The Working Group has a high level of confidence that Paris, New York, London and Madrid have the capability to host the 2012 Games," their report said.

"(The group) is less certain as to whether Moscow has the capability to host the 2012 Olympic Games as its overall score straddles the benchmark."

Moscow, however, has people and money to throw at any problem and only one thing is certain, no city is a certainty and no city is safe.