Obama To Lobby IOC For Chicago

In a last-minute decision that had most supporters of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid on the edge of their seats, US President Obama will be travelling to Copenhagen in support of his old home town before the decision is made by the International Olympic Committee on the 2nd of October.

An act that had been speculated for months in the lead up to the decision, it has been confirmed that Obama will become the first US president to lobby the IOC in person. The president will speak in favour of Chicago as 2016 Olympic Host City in a close race against Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.

The president had previously held back in committing to travel, with his wife, Michelle, planning to represent the US instead. It was thought that a trip to Copenhagen would be too controversial as the White House has been caught in the midst of a battle over domestic healthcare reforms. There was also speculation that Obama was steering clear of the bid decision in case Chicago didn’t win.

However, with Tokyo confirming that Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, would be attending, the Chicago bid was standing alone as the only one without a head of state attending.

Chicago has been viewed as a favourite for the bid decision due to its ability to bring in sponsors. Rio, however, has seen growing support as it strives to be the first South American city to host the Games.

The role of the heads of state in the decision-making process has been deemed by many as an  unofficial requirement, especially after London won the bid for 2012, which some suggested was helped along because then Prime Minister Tony Blair had lobbied the IOC in person.