UPDATE: Rio is gonna get it poppin' in 2016. Now about those pesky favelas…
ORIGINAL STORY
With everything tip top domestically and otherwise, President Obama made a final pitch to the IOC in Copenhagen for a Chicago Olympic Games in 2016. From CNN:
Obama's address to the 106 IOC members gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark, was the highlight of the Chicago bid committee's final presentation before the vote to choose the host city.
"Chicago is a place where we strive to celebrate what makes us different, just as we celebrate what we have in common," Obama said.
He pointed out that from hosting the World's Fair in 1893 to hosting World Cup events in 1994, the Illinois city has the experience needed to put on an Olympic Games.
Obama said Chicago is a place where people know that no matter their background, "with hard work and discipline and dedication, we can make it if we try."
He said, "That's not just the American dream, that is the Olympic spirit. That's why we see so much of ourselves in these Games. And that's why we want them in Chicago. That's why we want them in America."
Chicago was the first of four potential host cities to appear before the IOC on Friday. After more than a year of intense campaigning, each city is making a last-minute effort to attract more votes in their favor.
Tokyo, Japan; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Madrid, Spain, are also in the running.