Paris confident over Games plans

Details of the Paris bid

Paris has launched its candidature file for the 2012 Olympic Games with bid leaders insisting they have learned their lesson from past failures.

The French capital is the current 2012 favourite but trailed in a poor third in the race for the 2008 Games.

This time, Paris is banking on its plans for a compact, central event.

Jean-Paul Huchon, the president of the Ile-de-France regional council, said: "Our bid is far better than the one we presented for the 2008 Olympics."

One of its main strengths is an Olympic Village which would be built only 3km from the Champs Elysees and within 10 minutes of every venue by public transport.

Bid president Philippe Baudillon added: "We are going to create a new area within Paris which will be dedicated to the village and the athletes."

As well as the Stade de France, 65% of the venues already exist - including the Parc des Princes, Roland Garros, Paris' Bercy arena and rugby team Stade Francais' Jean Bouin Stadium.

Rivals explain their bids

A 'super dome', an aquatics centre, a velodrome and a shooting centre would be built from new but close to the centre or the Stade de France.

When Paris bid for 2008, it was criticised for technical weaknesses and in the first round of voting polled less than winners Beijing, Toronto and Istanbul.

The next step in the bidding process is the IOC evaluation commission's inspection of the five rival cities.

It will start with Madrid (3-6 February) before visiting London (16-19 February), New York (21-24 February), Paris (9-12 March) and Moscow (14-17 March).

The commission's report will then be scrutinised by the IOC members before they vote for the winner at their congress in Singapore on 6 July.