Oct 2, 2009 1:43 pm US/Central
Loss Of 2016 Olympics Hurts Wisconsin, Too
Madison, Wisc., Would Have Hosted Some Cycling Events
By COLIN FLY, AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE (AP) ―
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(File) Bonnie Blair, the Olympic speed skating champion who lives in Delafield, Wis., said her heart sank when she heard on the radio that Chicago had been eliminated from contention for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
AP
The announcement that Chicago had been eliminated from contention to host the 2016 Olympic Games came so quickly and unexpectedly, the champagne for Mount Horeb business owner Doug Welshinger's party hadn't even arrived.
The International Olympic Committee eliminated Chicago in the first round of voting and eventually
awarded the games to Rio de Janeiro, a huge disappointment for many Illinois residents but also for some businesses and residents in the Madison area, where Chicago 2016 organizers planned to stage a few events.
"We worked hard to put together a competitive bid for these games and I am certain our region would have provided a memorable venue for athletes and fans from around the world," Gov. Jim Doyle said.
Chicago's plan called for Madison to be the cycling hub with three events held nearby. Athletes would have stayed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The road race and time trials would have started in Madison, while the mountain bike competition would have been at Tyrol Basin, a popular ski and snowboard destination near the city of Mount Horeb.
"We thought we'd be here for the thrill of victory, but instead we got the agony of defeat," Madison mayor Dave Cieslewicz told reporters at a Madison hotel, where bid supporters had planned a Friday party. "But the reason Chicago was interested in us in the first place is still here: the great scenery, the strong community, those great Olympic routes they worked out ... We need to take advantage of all of that."
A Chicago Olympics would have been a boon for the tourism industry in Milwaukee and for the state of Wisconsin.
Welshinger, owner of The Grumpy Troll restaurant and brewery, was expecting to host a raucous party. But the announcement that Chicago was eliminated came before the champagne did.
"It would have been a good thing for our entire village and all of southern Wisconsin," he said. "It would have been exciting for all of our kids in school to have this thing happening and be a part of it.
Bonnie Blair, the Olympic speed skating champion who lives in Delafield, Wis., said her heart sank when she heard on the radio that Chicago had been eliminated. She said she would have been a goodwill ambassador for the games.
"It's such a disappointment and to go out in the first round is an even bigger disappointment," she told reporters. "It's definitely not what I expected. I am heartbroken."
She said Chicago should review its failed effort and then regroup for 2020.
Chicago was competing with Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round of voting.
Associated Press Writer Ryan J. Foley in Madison contributed to this report.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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