Brussels, 06/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - In Singapore on Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee finally named London as the city which will host the Olympic Games of summer 2012, beating the favourite, Paris, in the fourth round of voting. Madrid, Moscow and New York were the three other cities still in the running. Commissioner Jan Figel, who is responsible for the Sport dossier, welcomed the fact that another European city will pick up the baton from Athens: "less than a year after the end of the Athens Games, another European capital city has been chosen to deepen the close links which exist between the European nations and the Olympic ideal". Stressing the unifying nature of sport, which has brought generations of Europeans together, irrespective of their age or nationality, Commissioner Figel also welcomed the positive values of solidarity, fair play and tolerance it promotes and which " help to create a 'Europe close to its citizens'".