Windy City blown away by Rio
Chicago received the lowest number of votes among the 94 voting members on the International Olympic Committee meeting in the Danish capital and was eliminated from the race along with Tokyo.
Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Games after winning the second round of voting at the expense of Madrid.
In Chicago, people had gathered in the city’s Daley Plaza for what they had hoped would be a celebration rally after US President Barack Obama had gone to Copenhagen with first lady Michelle Obama to lead the bid presentation.
Leading Chicagoan and former Democratic presidential candidate Reverend Jesse Jackson, who was in Daley Plaza, described his disappointment.
“I’m shocked and saddened. We sent our A team, the president and his wife made great presentations, the mayor, the governor, Oprah Winfrey.
“I would like to know what the underlying reasons were but we just don’t know yet.”
Jackson said he thought President Obama’s presence in Copenhagen could have tipped the balance on behalf of their hometown but recognised how Rio’s powerful bid would resonate in certain quarters.
“(Brazil) is a very poor country, they’ve never had it in South America before and no doubt may other poor countries identified with Rio,” he said.
“They made a strong case but I thought we had the inside track. I must admit when President Obama went over he had the deal in his pocket but this is the Olympics and when the playing field is even and the rules are public and the goals are clear with a fair referee you cannot have a predictable winner.”
As for the possibility of an anti-American backlash, he added: “I don’t know, that would be true of any country I guess and America is the big guy on the block, but we’ve made such a turnaround with Barack Obama.
“The world has a better taste in its mouth for Americans and America, so I thought that his going really was a deal clincher.”
Rowdy Gaines, former Olympic three-time gold medal-winning swimmer and one of the hosts of the Daley Plaza rally, reacted to the news of Chicago’s elimination with disbelief.
“I’m in a state of shock,” Gaines told ESPN News. “I just can’t believe that we couldn’t get past the first round.
“When I looked across (the crowds) they were just totally aghast, in total shock.
“Last week they talked about how that was the scariest thing, the trickiest thing to get past but if you look at it overall I still thought that the bid was the best bid.
“I’ve studied the bid over and over again and I really thought that if you look at all the specifics behind the bid, Chicago had the best one.
“Maybe there’s some hangover from politics, from the last eight years.
“I can’t believe that, what with the President and his wife and Oprah (Winfrey) going over, that was very positive, all the great Olympians than went over there.”
Gaines said Chicago should persevere with the bid to stage an Olympic Games.
“This is something that we just shouldn’t give up on. I know it’s hard to even think about that right now but 2020 we should be there, we should try to go for (that),” he said.
“People are still very positive, still very proud of their city but once again, everybody’s still in a state of shock.”
The Revd Jackson echoed Gaines’ sentiments, adding: “There remains hope, we remain a great city and we’re certainly qualified to host it and in many ways we’ll still be participants and contributors to it.”
