Feb 28, 2007 10:45 pm US/Central
Olympic Committee To L.A., Chicago: Quit Fighting
Evaluation Committee Head Says Chicago Has Many Attractive Points For Games
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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A rendering of Chicago's proposed Olympic stadium.
Courtesy Chicago 2016
For the first time Chicago is getting an indication of what the U.S. Olympic Committee likes about Chicago in the bid for the summer games in 2016.
And what the Committee does not like – the recent sniping between the 2 cities in the finals.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports with an exclusive interview with the head of the Olympic Evaluation Committee.
L.A. makes fun of Chicago's weather. No snow in August, Chicago counters. No earthquakes or wildfires either.
It's a war of words the U.S. Olympic Committee would rather not hear.
"We've let both cities know that hopefully they can start concentrating more on their cities rather than making direct comparisons with one of the other cities," said Olympic Volleyball medalist Bob Ctvrtlik.
Ctvrtlik, the head of the USOC evaluation team, will lead his selection committee to L.A. Thursday and Chicago next week, seeking, he tells CBS 2, guarantees the two cities can deliver on their promises.
They will be asking whether Chicago can build its Olympic stadium for what it says it can, and whether L.A.'s proposed retrofit of the Coliseum will be enough.
"We need to see those assurances and the guarantees, and to see actually the team that each city has put together," Ctvrtlik said. "It's very important what the face will be – are their people trustworthy, are they believable?"
Patrick Ryan, the founder of global Aon Insurance, is the face of Chicago's bid. Andy McKenna, chairman of McDonald's is its finance chairman. Michael Jordan will be lobbying international voters.
And then there's the bid itself, with a billion dollar Olympic village, which will become a whole new Chicago neighborhood.
"There is an advantage, perhaps, from leaving a nice legacy. That's always appealed to voting members within the International Olympic Committee," Ctvrtlik said.
That same sentiment helped both London and Barcelona become Olympic cities. The new village, Chicago promises, will anchor the most compact Olympics ever.
"Compactness, the ability for athletes to be [close to] training venues, to be close to their competition venues, is very attractive. It's an important part, just so you know, we're always looking, just as the IOC is, is what is best for the athletes," he said.
It's no coincidence that more than 2,000 people, pledging more than $3 million will gather at McCormick place Thursday night. It is one way to show the Evaluation Committee, here just four days later, how many people and just how much money are behind Chicago's bid.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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