2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS:CHICAGO'S BID to host the 2016 Olympic Games received a boost yesterday when its most famous former resident, US President Barack Obama, ended months of speculation by announcing that he would fly to Copenhagen before Friday's vote to lobby on the city's behalf.
The White House confirmed that the president, who had said he was unlikely to attend due to his domestic political battle over healthcare reform, would lead a delegation to back Chicago against Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.
Although Chicago was installed as the favourite when the shortlist was narrowed to four in June last year, it has come under pressure from Rio as the Brazilian city’s bid team, backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has made a compelling case for bringing the Games to South America for the first time.
Obama’s appearance in Copenhagen with his wife Michelle, with both expected to deliver an address about their former home town and the transformative power of sport, could help wrest back the initiative.
The arrival of Obama – with the attendant risk that his presence could backfire and damage Chicago’s chances – will add an extra layer of intrigue to what is shaping up to be the tightest vote ever.
Much will depend on the emotional punch of the final days of a two-year campaign. The news immediately energised the Chicago team as they conducted final rehearsals.
With no International Olympic committee (IOC) executive board meeting before the vote, there will be less time for last-minute horse-trading in hotel lobbies. But the make-up of each bid team, and their contribution to the final round of 45-minute presentations, is still expected to prove pivotal.
IOC members believe it will come down to a couple of votes.
Whereas Beijing was the overwhelming favourite to win the 2008 Games, IOC sources say the way this race has evolved is similar to four years ago, when London pipped Paris to be awarded host status for 2012.
A victory for Chicago, which will attempt to sell a vision of a compact Games on the shores of Lake Michigan that will leave a lasting sporting legacy, would return the Olympics to the most lucrative market in terms of sponsorship and television rights.
But the city’s campaign has been far from smooth. Until relatively recently, the requisite financial guarantees were not in place and polls show public support to be at the lowest level of any bidding city.
A dispute between the IOC and the US Olympic Committee over revenues from TV rights, together with the latter’s plan to launch its own Olympic TV network, also threatened to harm Chicago’s chances, although IOC president Jacques Rogge recently said the row would have no bearing on the decision.
While Rogge says the presence of high-ranking politicians is not a defining factor, several IOC members have said the absence of Obama would have been noted.
The other bidders have high-level support, with King Juan Carlos of Spain supporting Madrid. Tokyo said on Sunday that newly elected Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama would travel on its behalf.
The IOC executive board has considered limiting government involvement to the sports ministers of bidding nations, but it rejected the idea because in some cases the head of state was also sports minister.
Rogge said the presence of high-profile figures should not prove decisive, but did little to discourage the prestige their presence adds to the bid process.
“We are very honoured and happy to host heads of states, dignitaries and heads of government,” he said, earlier this month. “(But) I don’t consider this is the most vital aspect in a bid.
“This is something that is an honour for the IOC and is also reassurance that public authorities are behind the bid and will be supportive.
“However, this is absolutely not a requirement of the IOC. We have never asked a head of state to come, but, if they elect to do so, we consider them as being part of the bid. If they come, we’re glad.”
GuardianService
2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS
Seven cities submitted bids to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics.
After a technical evaluation of the original bids, three applicant cities were eliminated – Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar) and Prague (Czech Republic).
The remaining four were shortlisted on June 4th, 2008.
