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Chicago 2016 Organizers To Meet With IOC Thursday

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Mar 25, 2009 10:55 pm US/Central

Chicago 2016 Organizers To Meet With IOC Thursday

Reporting
Jay Levine

DENVER (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Mayor Daley talks to IOC delegates in Denver on the eve of a meeting that will help decide Chicago's 2016 Olympic hopes.
CBS

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2016 Olympic Bid Organizers Prepare For IOC Visit
(3/24/2009)
Analysis: Chicago Olympic Bid Slips To Last Place
(3/23/2009)
City Puts Priority On Repaving Olympic Sites First
(3/19/2009)
Promoters: 2016 Olympics May Help Roads, Transit
(3/16/2009)
2016 Olympic Bid Team Wants More State Backing
(3/12/2009)

Thursday will be the moment of truth - the first of several upcoming in Chicago's 2016 Olympic hopes. Mayor Richard M. Daley is in Denver Wednesday getting ready for a meeting with the International Olympic Committee. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports that they are expecting a foot of snow in Denver Thursday but Chicago's delegation is already there being led by the mayor, and they are hard at work.

Chicago's booth at Sportaccord is open to everyone. But it's just a few dozen International Olympic Committee voters that Chicago and the other three 2016 candidates are trying to reach.

Whether it's Tokyo, with its slogan "setting the stage for heroes" or Rio, the candidate with the "wow" factor where they boast that you can "live your passion"; or Madrid, which promises "the games with the human touch"; each is hoping to capture the imagination and the votes of delegates.

When CBS 2 caught up with Mayor Daley, he said he had already spoken with about 15 delegates.

Convincing them used to involve elaborate gifts, but strict new rules after the scandal at Salt Lake City limits what you can give.

So Rio offers cups of Brazilian coffee, Madrid offers glasses of Spanish wine, and Chicago, of course, Chicago teddy bears.

"One of the IOC members came by, got one for every single one of his grandchildren. He has 12 grandchildren, we gave him two each," said Carrie Bazier.

At a rehearsal for Thursday's tightly scripted 20-minute formal presentation, another new video was unveiled, tracing the roots of Chicago's Olympic bid all the way back to the foundation of the city.

Chicago's pitch will also feature Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersey.

"And what I love most about the Chicago plan is the Olympic Village," Joyner-Kersey said. "Being an Olympian myself, having been to many Olympic games, this would have been an ideal place for me to be able to compete, so I'm saying to my friends that this is the place."

It won't be smooth sailing, but Chicago appears to be the favorite for the 2016 Games at this point.

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