Jul 24, 2006 11:20 pm US/Central
U.S. Olympic Committee Narrows List Of Cities
Many Think Prospects Look Good For Chicago
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
It's a green light for Olympic officials deciding whether the United States will bid for the 2016 Olympics, and Chicago could be among the finalists announced on Wednesday.
CBS 2's Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports on a new poll that gives new hope for Chicago hosting the summer games.
Last year, when London was chosen to host the 2012 summer games, New York never had a chance.
So the first question Olympic Chief Peter Ueberroth wanted answered this time was whether any U.S. city stood a chance. Tonight, it appears a poll of 60 international Olympic officials say "Yes."
And of the five bidders for the U.S. nomination, the same poll indicates some are stronger candidates than others.
The favorites to make the cut? Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The longshots? Houston and Philadelphia.
By Wednesday, Chicago's lakefront could be a step closer to hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics. The city has proposed an Olympic complex of sports venues and Olympic Village in the shadow of Soldier Field.
But it'll take more than glitzy videos like the one presented at the city's first meeting with the selection committee. Or visits like Mayor Daley's to Beijing, designed to show Chicago's bid was serious -- which served several purposes.
Returning to Chicago, he enlisted the support of business leaders like Pat Ryan and Miles White and put together a plan that has Chicago in the running to welcome the world in 2016.
Making Wednesday's final cut would put the city a step closer to being named the U.S. nominee, if there is one, sometime next spring.
The U.S. Olympic Committee won't make a final decision on whether to bid for the games until the end of this year. But right now, it looks good.
As one source Levine, "If we had a clear indication that a U.S. bid had no chance, we would have ended the process this week. Instead, they've called a news conference for Wednesday to announce which three or four cities will be asked to spend the time, effort, and money on a selection process."
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