Chicago Tossed in 1st Round of IOC Vote
Apple's Scott Forstall talks about the new Apple Turn By Turn Directions at the Apple Developers Conference in San Francisco, Monday, June 11, 2012. New iPhone and Mac software and updated Mac computers were among the highlights Monday at Apple Inc.'s annual conference for software developers. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) / Paul Sakuma
Last Updated at 2:25 a.m. Eastern
The high-profile lobbying efforts of Barack and Michelle Obama weren't enough to land Chicago the 2016 Olympics. Widely thought to be one of two favorites for the Games, Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting by the International Olympic Committee Friday.
The IOC ultimately in the final round of voting over Madrid. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round.
Before the vote, each city made final pitches in hopes of swaying delegates. Rio and Chicago's presentations were particularly impassioned. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, , while Rio urged the IOC's members to be bold by taking the games to South America for the first time.
Tokyo presented itself as the best city for the athletes, safe and environmentally pioneering. Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch made an unusual appeal for Madrid, reminding the IOC members as he asked for their vote that, at age 89, "I am very near the end of my time."
Meet the 2016 Olympic City Contenders
The cities' final presentations represented the finishing line after years of hard work, lobbying, planning and hopes. They had 45 minutes and follow-up questions to sway undecided IOC members, of which there were many after a long, close and at times acrimonious race.
Chicago presented first, with videos and speeches - capped by Mr. Obama's plea. Mr. Obama used his stature as a statesman and his own life story for impact, recounting how he was moved around as a child and "never really had roots" but in Chicago, "I finally found a home."
Mr. Obama held out the enticing prospect of a Chicago games helping to reconnect the United States with the world after the presidency of George W. Bush, pledging that the "full force of the White House" would be applied so "visitors from all around the world feel welcome and will come away with a sense of the incredible diversity of the American people."
His wife tugged at IOC members' heart strings by discussing her late father, who had multiple sclerosis. She recounted sitting on his lap, watching Olympians such as Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci compete, and how her father "taught me how to throw a ball and a mean right hook."
"My dad would have been so proud to witness these games in Chicago," she said.
But their efforts went for naught.
"The president did everything he could to bring the Olympics to our country and we're obviously disappointed that we didn't win them," White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said.
Burton said the president didn't regret making the personal appeal on Chicago's behalf.
"Any time the president has an opportunity to make the case for the country he's so proud of, he's going to do it," he said. "The easy thing to do would have been to sit by and not help our bid. But the president felt strongly about the opportunity to showcase Chicago and the United States and he took it."
Rio played up the wow factor of its fabulous scenery, with computer-generated bird's eye images of how venues would be spread across the city, with sailing in the shadow of Sugar Loaf mountain and volleyball on Copacabana beach. The governor of the central bank said Brazil's economic vibrancy should reassure IOC members, and the head of Rio state played down concerns over security.
But Rio's hardest sell was that the IOC could ignore South America no longer.
"It is a time to address this imbalance," Silva said. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
Rio bid president Carlos Nuzman, who is also an IOC member, added: "When you push the button today, you have the chance to inspire a new continent, make Olympic history."
Speaking for Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged that the city "will show the world how a major metropolis can flourish without detriment to the environment."
Madrid portrayed itself as a low-risk option, saying that 77 percent of the needed infrastructure for the games was already in place.
"This is a sure candidacy," Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said.
An uncomfortable moment for Chicago came when an IOC member from Pakistan, Syed Shahid Ali, noted that going through U.S. customs can be harrowing for foreigners.
Mr. Obama responded that he wanted a Chicago games to offer "a reminder that America at its best is open to the world."
The high drama will come when IOC president Jacques Rogge announces the name of the winner about an hour after the last votes are cast. He will break open a sealed envelope and declare which city has been awarded the games of the 31st Olympiad.
The winner gets huge prestige and billions of dollars in potential economic benefits, the losers just painful thoughts of what might have been.
Rogge doesn't vote and, as long as their cities haven't been eliminated, neither will members from Brazil, Spain and Japan. Three other members did not attend the session.
That left 95 voters in the first round, with more in subsequent rounds. In the event of a two-city tie in the early rounds, a runoff is held between the cities. If there is a tie in the final round, Rogge can vote or ask the IOC executive board to break the deadlock.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The high-profile lobbying efforts of Barack and Michelle Obama weren't enough to land Chicago the 2016 Olympics. Widely thought to be one of two favorites for the Games, Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting by the International Olympic Committee Friday.
The IOC ultimately in the final round of voting over Madrid. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round.
Before the vote, each city made final pitches in hopes of swaying delegates. Rio and Chicago's presentations were particularly impassioned. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, , while Rio urged the IOC's members to be bold by taking the games to South America for the first time.
Tokyo presented itself as the best city for the athletes, safe and environmentally pioneering. Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch made an unusual appeal for Madrid, reminding the IOC members as he asked for their vote that, at age 89, "I am very near the end of my time."
Meet the 2016 Olympic City Contenders
The cities' final presentations represented the finishing line after years of hard work, lobbying, planning and hopes. They had 45 minutes and follow-up questions to sway undecided IOC members, of which there were many after a long, close and at times acrimonious race.
Chicago presented first, with videos and speeches - capped by Mr. Obama's plea. Mr. Obama used his stature as a statesman and his own life story for impact, recounting how he was moved around as a child and "never really had roots" but in Chicago, "I finally found a home."
Mr. Obama held out the enticing prospect of a Chicago games helping to reconnect the United States with the world after the presidency of George W. Bush, pledging that the "full force of the White House" would be applied so "visitors from all around the world feel welcome and will come away with a sense of the incredible diversity of the American people."
His wife tugged at IOC members' heart strings by discussing her late father, who had multiple sclerosis. She recounted sitting on his lap, watching Olympians such as Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci compete, and how her father "taught me how to throw a ball and a mean right hook."
"My dad would have been so proud to witness these games in Chicago," she said.
But their efforts went for naught.
"The president did everything he could to bring the Olympics to our country and we're obviously disappointed that we didn't win them," White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton said.
Burton said the president didn't regret making the personal appeal on Chicago's behalf.
"Any time the president has an opportunity to make the case for the country he's so proud of, he's going to do it," he said. "The easy thing to do would have been to sit by and not help our bid. But the president felt strongly about the opportunity to showcase Chicago and the United States and he took it."
Rio played up the wow factor of its fabulous scenery, with computer-generated bird's eye images of how venues would be spread across the city, with sailing in the shadow of Sugar Loaf mountain and volleyball on Copacabana beach. The governor of the central bank said Brazil's economic vibrancy should reassure IOC members, and the head of Rio state played down concerns over security.
But Rio's hardest sell was that the IOC could ignore South America no longer.
"It is a time to address this imbalance," Silva said. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
Rio bid president Carlos Nuzman, who is also an IOC member, added: "When you push the button today, you have the chance to inspire a new continent, make Olympic history."
Speaking for Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama pledged that the city "will show the world how a major metropolis can flourish without detriment to the environment."
Madrid portrayed itself as a low-risk option, saying that 77 percent of the needed infrastructure for the games was already in place.
"This is a sure candidacy," Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said.
An uncomfortable moment for Chicago came when an IOC member from Pakistan, Syed Shahid Ali, noted that going through U.S. customs can be harrowing for foreigners.
Mr. Obama responded that he wanted a Chicago games to offer "a reminder that America at its best is open to the world."
The high drama will come when IOC president Jacques Rogge announces the name of the winner about an hour after the last votes are cast. He will break open a sealed envelope and declare which city has been awarded the games of the 31st Olympiad.
The winner gets huge prestige and billions of dollars in potential economic benefits, the losers just painful thoughts of what might have been.
Rogge doesn't vote and, as long as their cities haven't been eliminated, neither will members from Brazil, Spain and Japan. Three other members did not attend the session.
That left 95 voters in the first round, with more in subsequent rounds. In the event of a two-city tie in the early rounds, a runoff is held between the cities. If there is a tie in the final round, Rogge can vote or ask the IOC executive board to break the deadlock.
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You people are trolls. How's that for an opinion?
Ballot Box Stuffing: although this sport is played in almost every country in the world, Chicago will have an overwhelming advantage. Their team, made up of veteran ACORN members and coached by Mayor Richard Daley himself, would have been a heavy favorite to sweep the medals despite an expected strong challenge from Zimbabwe.
Bribe Handling: in this new event each competing team will attempt to clandestinely pass large stacks of currency back and forth amongst themselves without getting caught by the judges (aka, the feds). Again the home team will enjoy a huge advantage with none other than Coach Blagoyevich heading up a team made up of the most crooked politicians in the state of Illinois. With so much talent available, Coach Blago's biggest challenge will be deciding on his starting lineup.
Some traditional Olympic sports would have to be modified in order to appeal to the hometown audience.
Fencing: it will have be explained that this involves swordsmanship. Most people in Chicago think that fencing means disposing of stolen merchandise at a good profit.
Small Bore Pistol: to fit in with the local culture, all competitors in this sport will be required to shoot with their their pistols turned sideways while holding up a pair of baggy pants with the other hand. There will also be a new "Drive By" event with extra points for hitting innocent bystanders.
Track and Field: hurdles will be replaced with subway turnstiles in all applicable events. In the revised shot put competitors will attempt to throw a brick through a store window at fifty feet, after which they have thirty seconds to scoop up as much merchandise as possible. Also while competing in track events, each runner will be required to carry a stolen television set throughout the race.
Wrestling: each 'wrestler' will run up behind an elderly woman and attempt to wrestle her purse away from her. Since he will then have to run 100 meters with the stolen purse this will also count as a track event.
Cycling: the main change will be at the beginning of the race. Each rider will first have to cut through the security chain of another competitor's bike and then ride it away and use it for the rest of the race. Also cyclists will get extra points if, during the race, they manage to snatch wristwatches or jewelry from spectators as they ride by.
Field Hockey: instead of hockey sticks the teams (gangs) will be equipped (armed) with clubs and iron pipes. No ball will be necessary, since the players will be primarily interested in beating in the heads of the opposing team members. Spectators (aka, innocent bystanders) are advised to stay at least 30 meters away from the field while the game is in progress.
Now isn't it a shame that all those foreign visitors will not have the opportunity to enjoy a true Chicago Experience they can tell their friends about back home?
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