First Lady To Back Chicago’s 2016 Bid

Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics has been boosted by the news that First Lady Michelle Obama will be travelling to Copenhagen next month for the crucial vote by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

After weeks of speculation that President Barack Obama would lead the US delegation to Denmark to argue in person for his home town, the White House announced that his wife will be dispatched instead. However, the door has been left open for a last-minute appearance by the president.

Both Obamas have pledged support for the Chicago bid as it battles against Rio, Tokyo and Madrid to win the IOC vote to host the 2016 Games.

All of Chicago’s rivals are sending high-profile delegations to Denmark with King Juan Carlos of Spain, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and members of the Japanese royal family all expected to attend the vote.

A spokesman for the White House said that President Obama had told Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, that domestic political business — notably his healthcare reforms — were ‘at this time’ keeping him from committing to travel to Copenhagen on 2nd October for the vote.

The statement left open the possibility that Obama might later decide to make a quick trip.

Although Rogge has denied the impact that leading politicians have on the IOC vote, it was widely observed that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s appearance at the 2012 vote in Singapore was pivotal in London winning the bid to stage the Games.

Chicago is aiming to position itself as a leading sports venue for both elite and grass-roots competition and has recently bolstered its foothold in the sport and development market by agreeing to host the Beyond Sport Summit and Awards in 2010.