Chicago puts on a show for president of Olympic panel

Chicago didn't waste any time trying to impress International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Rogge is on a two-day trip here to see the final rounds of the world boxing championships. But since he was already in town, the U.S. candidate for the 2016 Olympics took the opportunity to put on a show.

Local business leaders held a luncheon in his honor Friday afternoon and got Olympic gold medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Edwin Moses and Nadia Comaneci to come. Mayor Richard Daley had him over to the office, then gave an impassioned speech about Chicago's reverence for the Olympic ideals.

"Mr. Mayor, to judge by your eloquence, you don't have to train anymore," Rogge said. "Unlike the others, you are ready for the vote of October 2009."

Chicago is one of seven cities bidding to host the 2016 Summer Games and is believed to be an early favorite along with Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. The IOC will select the bid city Oct. 2, 2009.

Though Chicago is the country's third-largest city, it's a relative newcomer to the Olympic movement and lacks the international clout of a New York or Los Angeles. It doesn't often get the chance to woo IOC officials, either, now that visits to bid cities have been curtailed.

So when the International Amateur Boxing Association announced it needed a host for the world championships, Chicago eagerly volunteered. Never mind that the city had less than six months to prepare for a two-week event that has brought about 700 amateur boxers from 120 countries, not to mention about two dozen IOC members.

"It was a big risk taking this on with only 5½ months. But, frankly, we thought it was a bigger risk not to take it on," said Patrick Ryan, leader of Chicago 2016. "We needed, I believe, to show that we could do a major event. Other cities have had the opportunity."

Boxing officials have given Chicago rave reviews, and Daley had Rogge, AIBA president and IOC member Ching-Kuo Wu of Taiwan, a handful of other IOC members and U.S. Olympic Committee officials to his office Friday morning to discuss the world championships.

Wu is "very happy," Rogge said after the meeting. "So I'm happy that ... everything is going well."

Though Rogge didn't get into any specifics about Chicago's chances for 2016, he did say he expected the city to present a "very strong" bid. He also said it's "far too soon" to rank the seven bid cities. Baku, Azerbaijan; Doha, Qatar; and Prague, Czech Republic, also are bidding for the Summer Olympics.

"Chicago is doing like all the others," Rogge said. "They are working hard, they are drafting their presentation."

In his speech to The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and The Economic Club of Chicago, Rogge outlined the ideals and values of the Olympic movement, explaining that there is much more to the Olympics than the games themselves. Although the Olympics can provide significant financial benefits to the countries and companies involved, there is a higher-minded purpose, he said.

The Olympics inspire people -- athletes and spectators alike -- to strive for improvement, Rogge said. That transcends politics, gender, race, religion and economics.

"Every city, in fact, that hosts the Olympic Games becomes a temporary steward of the Olympic movement," he said. "It is a great responsibility. Host cities ensure the continuity of a unique and universal event, of this unique Olympic dream."

Chicago is willing to take on that challenge, Daley said. He pointed to the opening parade for boxers, where he saw athletes from Iran and Israel marching down the same street.

"We believe in the values and the legacy of the Olympic movement to bring out the best in individuals," Daley said. "You're in the heart of America, I believe the soul of this country. You will feel the spirit and the welcome that represents, I believe, all of America."

Rogge also touched on other Olympic-related issues, saying he is confident that China's communist leaders will honor their promise that reporters will have press freedom at next summer's Beijing Games.

"In China you will be able to report, you will be able to circulate, to engage with citizens," he said, adding that the IOC will insist upon this.

Rogge also said again that some events could be postponed if there is too much pollution. But that's no different than skiing events at the Winter Olympics being postponed if there's not enough snow, he said.

Rogge also said the fight against doping remains the IOC's first priority. Not only does it endanger athletes' health, but it is contrary to everything the Olympics stand for, he said. Asked about disappointments in his six years as IOC president, Rogge mentioned the 2004 doping case of Russian shot putter Irina Korzhanenko.

Korzhanenko, the first woman to win gold at the site of Ancient Olympia, was stripped of her medal after testing positive for steroids.

"The fact that an athlete wanted to dope in what is, for us a sacred site, is still shocking to me," Rogge said.