Apr 14, 2007 11:04 pm US/Central
Mayor and Officials Say Bid Win Is Just First Step
Monday Celebration Planned For Daley Plaza
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Related Stories
-
Decision Day Comes For Chicago Olympic Bid (April 14, 2007)
(4/14/2007)
-
Fate Of City's Olympic Bid To Be Decided Saturday (April 13, 2007)
(4/14/2007)
-
Will Chorus Of Praise For Safety Boost Olympic Bid? (April 11, 2007)
(4/13/2007)
-
Governor Says He'll Back State Money For 2016 Olympics (April 11, 2007)
(4/12/2007)
-
Chicago Team Optimistic About Olympic Bid Chances (April 10, 2007)
(4/10/2007)
-
Just 5 Days Until Chicago Finds Out About Olympics (April 9, 2007)
(4/10/2007)
-
Olympic Ad Published As Chicago Fights For Games (March 28, 2007)
(3/28/2007)
-
City Council Votes 45-5 For Olympic Funding Plan (March 14, 2007)
(3/15/2007)
-
Report: Airspace Could Be Sold To Fund Olympics (March 14, 2007)
(3/14/2007)
-
Daley Unveils Financial Plan For Olympic Games (March 9, 2007)
(3/10/2007)
-
City Finalizes Financial Guarantee For Olympic Bid (March 8, 2007)
(3/9/2007)
-
U.S. Olympic Committee's Visit to Chicago Ending (March 8, 2007)
(3/8/2007)
-
Chicago Pulls Out All The Stops For Olympic Committee (March 6, 2007)
(3/7/2007)
-
Olympic Officials In Town To Evaluate City's Plan (March 5, 2007)
(3/6/2007)
-
Olympic Committee To L.A., Chicago: Quit Fighting (Feb. 28, 2007)
(3/1/2007)
-
Olympic Chiefs Spar Over Weather As Race Tightens (Feb. 23, 2007)
(2/23/2007)
-
Chicago Olympians Vow To Help City's 2016 Bid (Jan. 18, 2007)
(1/19/2007)
-
Lake County To Get Olympic Equestrian Center (Jan. 12, 2007)
(1/12/2007)
-
City To Ramp Up Olympic Bid With Sports Alliance (Jan. 10, 2007)
(1/10/2007)
-
U.S. Will Bid For 2016 Olympic Games (Jan. 9, 2007)
(1/10/2007)
They certainly are excited Saturday evening, but they were absolutely euphoric Saturday afternoon, when the country heard that Chicago is the host city of choice, as CBS 2's Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.
After waiting for hours following their final presentation for the Olympic Committee board to vote, then hanging on every word as Peter Ueberroth made the announcement.
"It was just not knowing, wondering which way and when it happens you're just going to express your passion, your emotion," said Mayor Richard Daley about his excitement over the news.
They waited as Olympic chief Peter Ueberroth opened the envelope with the vote counted by CPA's and known to no one, looked at the result and seemed taken aback.
"It was like being an Olympic competition all over again, if you can ever imagine being at the top of a roller coaster and being scared, that's the way I felt," said 2016 presenter Mike Conley, Sr. "I just closed my eyes and said yes."
Site evaluation commission chief Bob Ctvertlik celebrated with Chicago's team members at a party Saturday evening, after detailing what put Chicago over the top.
"The lakefront celebration center, some of the legacy projects, coupled with the guarantees they offered gave our board a level of assurance that might have been the differentiation between the cities," said Ctverlik.
Chicago 2016 CEO Pat Ryan said there was something else.
"One of the USOC board members told me what really brought it to my attention was the spirit of the people of Chicago, you could feel it," he said.
For Los Angeles, there was disappointment, but a pledge to get behind Mayor Daley and Chicago's bid.
"You'll see me schlep wherever he wants me to whenever he needs me to, because that's what we do in the best tradition of the Olympic spirit," said Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The celebration for Chicago is sweet and short.
"We've gotten to one spot which is fantastic and I'm excited to be at this place, but tomorrow is a new day and a new beginning and the process really begins all over again," said announcement attendant Linda Mastandrea.
"Is it out of the frying pan into the fire? It is but we want to do it, we want to be able to showcase Chicago," said Daley. "We've got tough competition, Rio de Janiero, Madrid, Tokyo, but Chicago always likes a challenge."
Chicago will have to overcome a political climate which does not appear to bode well for a U.S. candidate. But the fact is, with the Olympics in Asia next year, and Europe four years later, 2016 would be time to bring the games back to the Americas. Right now, that means Chicago or Rio de Janeiro.
The campaign officially begins September 15 but in Chicago and abroad, the work begins next week.
A celebration will take place at Daley Plaza at 12 p.m. Monday, April 16.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Get breaking news alerts
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments