Chicago Strives for Olympic Gold

April 5, 2009 -- Since arriving in Chicago last Thursday, members of the International Olympic Committee have been touring the city, including proposed locations and venues for the games.

For the Windy City, this visit may be the last, best chance to impress the IOC, which will decide on a 2016 host city in October.

"We're excited that the IOC will now get to see what they've seen on paper in real time, in real life," said Bob Berland from the Chicago 2016 Committee, the city's bid organization.

Chicago has never hosted the Olympics, but it has much of what the IOC is looking for, including transportation systems, sports stadiums, natural beauty and financing.

"We are not building facilities and calling them white elephants," said Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. "We already have the facilities built."

For Chicago, landing the games could bring a windfall. After the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona became a true glamour capital, the world's second most-visited city behind Paris. For the Second City, that's prestige money can't buy.

"A successful Olympic games could put Chicago on an even footing with New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco as one of the must-see destinations in the United States," said Robert Boland, a former U.S. Olympic trials athlete who is now a professor at New York University's Tisch Center for Sports Management. "It's been millions of dollars. It's been many hours of human endeavour trying to put this bid together."

So Chicago is leaving little to chance during the IOC's visit, keeping anti-Olympics protestors at a distance and rushing to fill potholes to keep things running smoothly. Even the hundreds of journalists from around the globe that are covering the visit are being allowed access to just a few press conferences and staged photo opportunities.

Away from the cameras, the IOC is hearing detailed presentations during the day and being wined and dined at night.

And famous Chicagoans are joining in the pitch. Michael Jordan and President Obama are among the celebrities who have taped promotional videos for the bid committee.