Chicago Makes Final Four in 2016 Olympic Bid

Rio, Madrid, or Tokyo could leave Obamas empty-handed this week

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama arrive in Denmark tomorrow, hoping to win the 2016 Olympics for their hometown. The Windy City has an impressive bid, proposing events in the city's parks and a lakefront Olympic Village. But three other cities are lobbying hard, and any could get the Games come Friday.

• Madrid: Spain has valuable experience from the Barcelona Games, and events would take place in Real Madrid's famous soccer stadium. But after London 2012, another European city is a tough sell. And Madrid's 100-degree summers don't help.

Tokyo deemed insufficiently excited, while Madrid could be logistical nightmare

(NEWSER) - The International Olympic Committee appears to be bullish on Rio for the 2016 Summer Games, though Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid remain in the hunt, CNN reports. In an evaluation of the cities released today to members, Rio’s presentation is deemed to be of the “very highest quality.” Chicago’s bid also received high marks, with the evaluation team calling the city’s $4.8 billion proposal “ambitious but achievable,” the Sun-Times reports. The final decision comes Oct. 2. More»

(AP) - With 3½ months to go, Rio de Janeiro has picked up significant momentum in the race for the 2016 Olympics. The Brazilian city emerged with the most buzz among the four competing cities during presentations yesterday in Switzerland to International Olympic Committee members. Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo are the other cities vying to host the Summer Games; a vote is scheduled for Oct. 2. More»

President-elect appears via video before selection committee, his first such push

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama made a surprise appearance today in a video address to the International Olympic Committee, pushing Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Games, the Tribune reports. The video, shepherded to Istanbul by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, showed Obama talking about his belief “in the Olympic movement,” and how he has “long supported hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in my home city.” More»

IOC shows us the world still likes to thumb its nose at American power

(NEWSER) - The first-round knockout of Chicago’s Olympic bid speaks to an unpleasant fact, writes Mike Lopresti: “A lot of people out there don't like us. They don't care if President Obama is eloquent and the first lady is charming.” If it had come down to just Chicago and Rio, with South America never having hosted the games before, that would’ve been one thing. But “to be the first city eliminated speaks to something deeper. This was a repudiation.” More»