Moscow will not bid for the 2016 Olympics after failing in its attempt last year to host the 2012 Games, the city's mayor Yuri Luzhkov said.

"You need to face up to the truth, we have no chance to win the right to host the 2016 Olympics," Luzhkov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency All Sport.

It is believed European cities will have only a small chance of success for 2016 after London was awarded the 2012 Games.

The British capital edged out Paris, Madrid, New York and Moscow in a vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its congress in Singapore a year ago.

Madrid has already signalled its intention to bid again for the 2016 Games while there was also interest from Italy, the United States, India, Japan and Brazil.

Beijing will stage the Summer Games in 2008. Luzhkov said the decision to bypass the 2016 Games did not mean Moscow would not consider another bid in the future.

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