Olympics 2016

Chicago Placed On 2016 Olympics Shortlist

International Olympic Committee Pares 7 City Field Down To 4 Finalists

ATHENS, Greece (CBS) ― The International Olympic Committee has named Chicago as one of four finalists to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Following a meeting in Athens, Greece, IOC Director of Communications Giselle Davies said Chicago had made the final cut, along with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee Chairman Patrick Ryan were present for the announcement.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, there was little doubt that Chicago would be among the cities that moved from applicant city to candidate city. Backers were celebrating Wednesday, but the long, hard push to get the games was just beginning.

Three cities were eliminated from the race. They are Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan.

"It was an impressive list to choose from," Davies said before announcing the finalist cities. "The diversity of applicants from around the world – Europe, Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, North and South America – reflect very much the universal appeal of the Olympic movement."

The decision was made by the International Olympic Committee executive board.

The Chicago Olympic Master Plan will now be refined and submitted as a formal bid book to the International Olympic Committee. Then a high-profile, 16-month global bidding contest will begin.

The IOC will select the winner by secret ballot on Oct. 2, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Of the four cities named candidates, all, according to the IOC "have the potential to host the 2016 Games."

But according to the team evaluating each of their plans, both Tokyo and Madrid ranked ahead of Chicago, with Rio de Janeiro behind.

"We're going to learn from that and make every adjustment possible to correct whatever criticism in their evaluation and build on our strengths," said Chicago 2016 CEO Pat Ryan.

The reaction to Chicago's making the short list of 2016 finalists was tempered by some pointed criticism from the evaluation committee about all the new venues Chicago must build; like the $1 billion Olympic Village south of McCormick place, built by private developers then sold off after the games, and the Washington Park temporary stadium, with a price tag of $366 million.

The International Olympic Committee believed the construction budgets appears low, though just last week, operations Chief Doug Arnot said the stadium cost was guaranteed by builders.

Chicago's transportation plan also took a hit, for its aging mass transit system, and the IOC wants "more detailed spectator, volunteer and workforce transport operations."

Those concerns didn't dampen the enthusiasm of those who worked hard to get Chicago this far, but everyone in the city and in Athens understands that the real battle is just beginning.

"Now the race is in full sprint… and we've got a lot of work to do," Ryan said.

Daley has been in Athens all week. While he had already been looking ahead to promoting Chicago as a candidate city, nonetheless he told CBS 2 by phone that he was thrilled when the announcement came that Chicago was a finalist.

"Just sitting there and waiting for the announcement with butterflies; you felt like a teenager, truly, and then to hear the announcement and the name Chicago, was again, with great pride and admiration of those who have worked on it, the citizens that are endorsing it, as well as America," Daley said. "I think different things happen in your life, but this is an opportunity, I really believe, to not only showcase the great history of Chicago, but the great history of America; of the city of immigrants and diversity and the strength that we had."

Daley admitted the city was up against formidable opponents in Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

"We're going to do everything possible to compete; bring people together, not only in our city, but throughout the country, to really show them the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic movement; what it means to Chicago and the United States of America," Daley said.

Daley has been meeting with public officials and others with ties to the IOC, engaging in a kind of informal lobbying that started two years ago, when Daley told CBS 2 exclusively while he sat with Jay Levine in a Tel-Aviv hotel room that he planned to go for the 2016 Olympic bid.

Since then, Chicago 2016 has spent $9 million to raise private funds on the bid. The city Olympic bid organization has raised over $30 million, which will be needed to continue through the time of the final decision.

Among the four cities, the IOC determined "have the potential to host the 2016 Games," Chicago ranked behind Tokyo and Madrid and ahead of only Rio de Janeiro. But Chicago was a longshot from the beginning and people like paralympian Linda Mastandrea, who helped make Chicago's case to be the U.S. candidate, remain hopeful.

Mastandrea said, "There have been so many of us who have worked so hard, and waited so long for this moment. And, I know we have a long way to go, but this is just amazing."

Sources close to Gov. Rod Blagoyevich claimed the capital bill, stalled in Springfield by the Mayor's most powerful ally, House Speaker Mike Madigan, would provide billions of dollars to deal with those mass transit problems.


CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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