Boxing: McKenzie's rule ends

MANCHESTER's bid to stage the 2000 Olympic Games is gaining favour among IOC members who will select the host city on 23 September.

Bob Elphinston, general manager of the Sydney bid, talked yesterday of how Atlanta came from behind in its bid to stage the 1996 Olympics and said that 'we predict Manchester is the city most likely to do something like that, as it has been slowly gathering support from IOC delegates'.

Bob Scott, Manchester's bid manager, has said he believed that Sydney, the early favourite, had peaked too early.

Berlin's bid for the Olympics received a boost yesterday when German industrial leaders pledged support worth up to DM 1bn (pounds 400m).