WASHINGTON — Chicago's transformation from nonentity on the international Olympic stage a year ago to possible host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics was affirmed by a close U.S. Olympic Committee vote here on Saturday.
The board opted for the enthusiasm and fresh approach of Chicago, which has never hosted an Olympics, over the experienced hand of Los Angeles, attempting to present the Summer Games for a third time in a span of 84 years.
USOC Chairman Peter V. Ueberroth opened the sealed envelope in a meeting room at a downtown hotel shortly after 4 p.m. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley practically shot out of his chair with the announcement.
"I was very, very nervous and that's why I jumped right out of the seat," Daley said. "Like a little kid watching the Olympics."
He could well be doing that in his own city in 2016. The expected field in the race for the 2016 Games is not especially strong, and recent history suggests that Chicago has the compact, athlete-friendly plan that might appeal to International Olympic Committee officials.
A disappointed Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vowed to support Chicago and said: "We put our best foot forward. I'm proud of every effort that we made here, and I wouldn't change one single thing."
Saturday's decision sends Chicago into an international pool of candidates, possibly including Madrid, Rome, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Prague, Czech Republic. The IOC will announce its choice in October 2009 at Copenhagen.
Chicago entered the competition with modest expectations. Few cities win on their first bid, though Atlanta was a notable exception. Chicago then survived a rigorous vetting process by the USOC, watching as Houston and Philadelphia were eliminated in July and then San Francisco, an early favorite, fell in November when plans for a new stadium were shelved.
Surprisingly, in the international competition, early handicapping seems to favor the city on Lake Michigan, despite its longshot origins.
Helping Chicago are several factors of Olympic geography and sports politics. Tokyo could be hurt by the geographical closeness of the Olympics next year in another Asian city, Beijing.
Also, although the Summer Games have never been held in South America, Rio de Janeiro could take a back seat to Brazil's aspirations to host the World Cup. Brazil is the sole contender at the moment to host the 2014 soccer games.
