Jan 9, 2008 5:26 pm US/Central
Olympians Help Chicago In Next Step To 2016 Games
Chicago 2016 Committee Keeping Mum On Contents Of Its 50-Page Questionnaire Response
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Former and hopeful Olympic athletes helped the Chicago 2016 committee put together this book to answer a 25-page questionnaire from the International Olympic Committee.
CBS
Former Olympians and those hoping to compete in 2016 helped pack up Chicago's official questionnaire, due at international Olympic headquarters in Switzerland on Monday.
"When you got people competing and they know what competition's all about and you have to put your best foot forward to get the best result and that's what Mayor Daley has done with this team," said boxer Michael Bennett, who competed in the 2000 Games.
They helped prepare the 25-page questionnaire answered by all seven cities competing for the games and added in illustrations, diagrams and maps. This first volume containing Chicago's vision of the 2016 Summer Games runs nearly 50 pages. Printed in soy ink on recycled fiber, it is part of an environmentally conscious effort designed to move Chicago from applicant city now to candidate by this summer.
"I grew up in Chicago; I'm a native Evanstonian," said 1988 gymnastics competitor Diane Simpson. "I'm so thrilled and excited."
In preparing this first shipment, they were careful not to reveal the contents, unlike Rio de Janeiro, which this week told the world about its plan. Chicago wants the International Olympic Committe to see it first.
"You can't worry about your competition," said Bob Berland, who competed in judo in 1984 and '88. "You can only worry about yourself. And therefore we feel the product we've put together is excellent and we're very proud of it."
While its still top-secret, we've learned that there's really not much new in the questionnaire. The stadium is still in Washington Park, the Olympic village still over the truck staging area, just south of McCormick Place, though that could move slightly in the final plan. Various other venues are where we thought they were.
While Chicago is widely expected to clear this first hurdle, no one here is taking it for granted.
"Every step you take is a point that you can be knocked out, so we've taken very serious approach to what we've put forward and we don't feel what we've put forward is taken lightly at all," Berland said.
2016 CEO Pat Ryan called this "a milestone," the first poignant landmark, he said, in our march to October 2, 2009, the day the IOC makes its choice.
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