May 11, 2009
Now that the International Olympic Committee evaluation teams have completed their bid city visits, the countdown begins as they build their assessment report to be released Sept. 2. The IOC left Madrid on Friday, May 8. They spent five days listening to presentations and visiting venues that resulted in the same comments as the other bid cities: “We have been most impressed to find what the city of Madrid could offer the Olympic movement. Madrid is ready to organize the Games.”
Madrid, a losing bidder for the 2016 Games that was awarded to London, told the evaluation committee that “all the pieces are here.” “Madrid has ‘Olympism’ in its DNA,” Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon said. Madrid 2016 “offers a Games that is not just brilliant and efficient, but close together, and with a soul.”
One factor of the Madrid bid that strikes a different chord from the other bids is that 77 percent of the venues already exist or are currently under construction. Adjustments would be made to the venues to accommodate a high number of spectators. During the visit, the committee was able to physically see the compactness of the Games Madrid offers. This seemed to further impress the evaluation team. “Of course, this is added value for the bid of Madrid,” said chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel. Another evaluator Gilbert Felli added that these pre-existing venues are “a good asset” but reassured the press that this did not sway their report.
Unlike during the other visits, El Moutawkel had to leave Madrid for Morocco, where she is the sports minister, on government business for two days. She was back for the final press conference and spoke as if she hadn’t missed any of the visit. Madrid organizers said they were “completely confident it will have no impact on the success of the IOC visit.”
The question of security has been an important issue in all the cities’ bids. At international events like the Olympics, it is not uncommon for there to be threats of violence. In some cities, violence is more likely than others. Spanish interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said separatist militants would not pose a threat to the 2016 Games if Madrid wins. The ability of a city “to organize a safe and secure Games” would weigh heavily in the committee’s technical assessment said El Moutawakel.
Now that the visits are done, the bid teams will travel to Switzerland on June 17-18 where each will do a technical presentation for all the IOC members that will answer the nitty gritty questions about their bid. In the time during, the evaluation committee said that they will “do a general assessment of what we believe is the risk in each of the cities.” Whether it’s the IOC’s risk to host their Games in the city or the city’s risk of hosting the Games, only the IOC will know.
The evaluation team visits and technical presentations are in their developing years. They were formed when a bribery scandal was exposed showing that individual IOC member visits to the bid cities resulted in a vulnerable situation. Bid cities could easily bribe the IOC members for their votes in return for things like cash and college scholarships.
But even though bribery has seemed to be diverted by the role of the evaluation committee, the secrecy of the visits has proven too tempting for the other bids. This last week, Rio de Janeiro filed a complaint with the IOC because they caught a paid consultant from Madrid 2016 acting as a journalist during the committee’s visit to Rio. It also has been revealed that Tokyo 2016 also paid a journalist to act as a spy during the Chicago visit. The visits have not been without their controversy.
After the technical presentations are over, each bid city will look for international sporting events to promote their bid. The Chicago bid hopes that the World Cup qualifier on June 6 in Chicago’s Soldier Field will help demonstrate their ability to host an international sporting event. The world championship swimming tournament in Rome and track and field tournament in Berlin also provide for a chance to promote bids this summer. A final decision for the 2016 host will be made Oct. 2 in Copenhage
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
IOC vacation continues in Rio
The vacation continued for the International Olympics Committee as it visited Rio de Janeiro, another bid city, from Apr. 24 – May 2, a longer stay than the other bid city visits. Did Rio leave a sunnier impression on the IOC than Chicago or Tokyo?
The visit took place during the weekend celebration of May Day, a national holiday in Brazil. Without work, traffic was lightened and celebration mode made it an easy chance to show public support. The tour of the city took place on May 1, a day when residents were requested to dress in Brazil’s National colors to show support for the bid. “We know people will want to enjoy the beach and to make the most of the public holiday, and what we are asking is that they do so dressed in green and yellow and that they put the national flag up on the windows of their homes. The idea is to organize something spontaneous, not a crowded event,” said Rio 2016 spokesman Saint-Clair Milesi.
With meetings discussing the 17 themes of the bid covering 300 technical questions, 300 professionals from Rio 2016 and three levels of government were directly involved in this visit. The evaluation team visited the sports venues on Friday. Many sites used during the 2007 Pan-American Games at Rio would be used again.
“We are happy and proud of the results of the first presentations. Speakers and members of the evaluation commission seemed to be on the same wavelength, and the question and answer sessions went smoothly,” explained Leonardo Gryner, Rio 2016’s director of marketing and communications.
Since the Games have never been held in South America, this appears to be a strong competition for the other bid cities whose countries have hosted the Olympics before. The bid also highlights Rio’s natural beauty as providing “an unrivaled stage for the event.” The city has pledged $14.1 billion for the Games should they come to the city. The IOC ended their visit with a conference where they once again said they were “highly impressed” by Rio’s bid. “Everything we saw here so far is positive,” said the evaluation committee’s chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel.
But like Chicago’s bid has financial problems and Tokyo only has 56% of public support for their bid, Rio has its issues too. Safety is a primary concern in a city where violence and theft is more common than most. El Moutawakel said the IOC “was assured that all that can be done will be done to make Rio a safe city for the Games.”
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of Rio 2016 described the visit as “the only opportunity permitted by the IOC for their members to visit Rio de Janeiro to learn about our plans. We are confident. In partnership with representatives of the three levels of government, Rio 2016 will go through the plans presented in our candidature file and show that Rio is prepared to receive the greatest sports event on the planet.”
But does Brazil agree that the Olympics are the greatest sporting event? Brazil will host the World Cup Soccer Game in 2014. Many are concerned that this will overshadow the Olympic glow if held in the same country because soccer is such a popular sport in the Latin world. However, if Brazil can run the World Cup successfully, they are most likely to succeed in hosting the Olympics if given the Games, proving that they are responsible for handling large international sporting events.
In regards to the improving stage of the Paralympics, Rio succeeded in correlating the two events into one. Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias said, “It was an honor to participate in this meeting on behalf of my peers, since I really believe in Rio 2016. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been designed as a single event. Many, many people share my dream of seeing such a special event in my country.”
The evaluation committee was once again very careful to not expose any decisions or favorites. They continue on to Spain next week to review Madrid 2016’s bid. Reports on the cities’ bids will be released Sept. 2, a month before the final decision will be announced in Copenhagen.
The visit took place during the weekend celebration of May Day, a national holiday in Brazil. Without work, traffic was lightened and celebration mode made it an easy chance to show public support. The tour of the city took place on May 1, a day when residents were requested to dress in Brazil’s National colors to show support for the bid. “We know people will want to enjoy the beach and to make the most of the public holiday, and what we are asking is that they do so dressed in green and yellow and that they put the national flag up on the windows of their homes. The idea is to organize something spontaneous, not a crowded event,” said Rio 2016 spokesman Saint-Clair Milesi.
With meetings discussing the 17 themes of the bid covering 300 technical questions, 300 professionals from Rio 2016 and three levels of government were directly involved in this visit. The evaluation team visited the sports venues on Friday. Many sites used during the 2007 Pan-American Games at Rio would be used again.
“We are happy and proud of the results of the first presentations. Speakers and members of the evaluation commission seemed to be on the same wavelength, and the question and answer sessions went smoothly,” explained Leonardo Gryner, Rio 2016’s director of marketing and communications.
Since the Games have never been held in South America, this appears to be a strong competition for the other bid cities whose countries have hosted the Olympics before. The bid also highlights Rio’s natural beauty as providing “an unrivaled stage for the event.” The city has pledged $14.1 billion for the Games should they come to the city. The IOC ended their visit with a conference where they once again said they were “highly impressed” by Rio’s bid. “Everything we saw here so far is positive,” said the evaluation committee’s chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel.
But like Chicago’s bid has financial problems and Tokyo only has 56% of public support for their bid, Rio has its issues too. Safety is a primary concern in a city where violence and theft is more common than most. El Moutawakel said the IOC “was assured that all that can be done will be done to make Rio a safe city for the Games.”
Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of Rio 2016 described the visit as “the only opportunity permitted by the IOC for their members to visit Rio de Janeiro to learn about our plans. We are confident. In partnership with representatives of the three levels of government, Rio 2016 will go through the plans presented in our candidature file and show that Rio is prepared to receive the greatest sports event on the planet.”
But does Brazil agree that the Olympics are the greatest sporting event? Brazil will host the World Cup Soccer Game in 2014. Many are concerned that this will overshadow the Olympic glow if held in the same country because soccer is such a popular sport in the Latin world. However, if Brazil can run the World Cup successfully, they are most likely to succeed in hosting the Olympics if given the Games, proving that they are responsible for handling large international sporting events.
In regards to the improving stage of the Paralympics, Rio succeeded in correlating the two events into one. Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias said, “It was an honor to participate in this meeting on behalf of my peers, since I really believe in Rio 2016. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been designed as a single event. Many, many people share my dream of seeing such a special event in my country.”
The evaluation committee was once again very careful to not expose any decisions or favorites. They continue on to Spain next week to review Madrid 2016’s bid. Reports on the cities’ bids will be released Sept. 2, a month before the final decision will be announced in Copenhagen.
IOC visits Tokyo
The 13-member International Olympic Committee evaluation team completed a final inspection of Tokyo’s 2016 bid on Sunday, April 19. Like the Chicago visit two weeks prior, the IOC held a press conference where evaluation commission chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel reported "We were very impressed by the vision, high quality of the presentation and concept that were presented to us regarding the Tokyo bid,” the same reaction given in Chicago.
During the visit, the IOC listened to presentations and Q&A sessions on Thursday, visited the proposed venues on Friday and inspected infrastructures, transport systems and hotels during the rest of their stay, wrapping up their four-day visit on Monday.
IOC members wore special goggles at the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium to be built and given a virtual tour using computer graphics of the stadium and its surroundings.
El Moutawakel also said she is particularly impressed by the Tokyo bid offering the most compact games, with all venues within five miles of the Main Stadium. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Olympics and would use many of the same venues. Twenty-three of the proposed 34 venues already exist and land has been secured for the 11 new facilities. Five of those new venues would be remain after the Games.
Compared to Chicago’s bid that lacks unlimited financial guarantees, Tokyo is more confident of its financial security in the global economic downturn. The bid offers a government pledge to finance the Olympics if costs cannot be met. Of its $66 billion annual budget, Tokyo has secured $4 billion for a special budget in cash for the Games.
Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda said that corporate sponsors will help raise revenue to provide Olympic funding in their JOC Gold Partnership Program. Companies like Toyota Motor Corp., Asahi Breweries Ltd. and NTT Docomo Inc. will contribute funds.
"Amid this current economic crisis we will have reached 90 percent of our target if negotiations with the remaining companies are successful. This could benefit Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympics," said a JOC official.
Japan Prime Minister Taro Aso, a shooting athlete in the 1976 Montreal Olympics said, “We will abide in full by every guarantee in the candidate file. We will ensure whatever needs to be done, will be done. Whatever needs to be built, will be built. Whatever needs to be financed, will be financed,” showing the IOC that Japan’s government completely supports Tokyo’s bid.
However, just like Chicago, Tokyo had its share of protestors during the IOC visit. Small opposition groups gathered and chanted “Tokyo doesn’t need the Olympics.” The “No Olympics in Tokyo” and “Objection! Ishihara’s 2016 Olympics” opposition groups met with IOC evaluator Gilbert Felli, like Chicago’s “No Games Chicago” did. The question of local support is a problem faced by every bid city.
Overall, Tokyo considers the visit a success. "I am very much satisfied with the visit by the Evaluation Commission," Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said. "I feel that the visit raised Tokyoites' spirit to support the Olympics bid."
‘‘We were given loads of information. It will be difficult for us now to disclose all of it. But we were very comfortable with what was given to us. Tokyo did really well in the first stage and we will further study the documents that were given to us in these four days,’’ El Moutawakel said.
As to not draw any public comparisons, the IOC evaluators did a good job of keeping quiet about their bid judgments and will release an assessment report of all the bid cities on Sept. 2. A decision will be made on Oct. 2 in Copenhagen.
During the visit, the IOC listened to presentations and Q&A sessions on Thursday, visited the proposed venues on Friday and inspected infrastructures, transport systems and hotels during the rest of their stay, wrapping up their four-day visit on Monday.
IOC members wore special goggles at the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium to be built and given a virtual tour using computer graphics of the stadium and its surroundings.
El Moutawakel also said she is particularly impressed by the Tokyo bid offering the most compact games, with all venues within five miles of the Main Stadium. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Olympics and would use many of the same venues. Twenty-three of the proposed 34 venues already exist and land has been secured for the 11 new facilities. Five of those new venues would be remain after the Games.
Compared to Chicago’s bid that lacks unlimited financial guarantees, Tokyo is more confident of its financial security in the global economic downturn. The bid offers a government pledge to finance the Olympics if costs cannot be met. Of its $66 billion annual budget, Tokyo has secured $4 billion for a special budget in cash for the Games.
Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda said that corporate sponsors will help raise revenue to provide Olympic funding in their JOC Gold Partnership Program. Companies like Toyota Motor Corp., Asahi Breweries Ltd. and NTT Docomo Inc. will contribute funds.
"Amid this current economic crisis we will have reached 90 percent of our target if negotiations with the remaining companies are successful. This could benefit Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympics," said a JOC official.
Japan Prime Minister Taro Aso, a shooting athlete in the 1976 Montreal Olympics said, “We will abide in full by every guarantee in the candidate file. We will ensure whatever needs to be done, will be done. Whatever needs to be built, will be built. Whatever needs to be financed, will be financed,” showing the IOC that Japan’s government completely supports Tokyo’s bid.
However, just like Chicago, Tokyo had its share of protestors during the IOC visit. Small opposition groups gathered and chanted “Tokyo doesn’t need the Olympics.” The “No Olympics in Tokyo” and “Objection! Ishihara’s 2016 Olympics” opposition groups met with IOC evaluator Gilbert Felli, like Chicago’s “No Games Chicago” did. The question of local support is a problem faced by every bid city.
Overall, Tokyo considers the visit a success. "I am very much satisfied with the visit by the Evaluation Commission," Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said. "I feel that the visit raised Tokyoites' spirit to support the Olympics bid."
‘‘We were given loads of information. It will be difficult for us now to disclose all of it. But we were very comfortable with what was given to us. Tokyo did really well in the first stage and we will further study the documents that were given to us in these four days,’’ El Moutawakel said.
As to not draw any public comparisons, the IOC evaluators did a good job of keeping quiet about their bid judgments and will release an assessment report of all the bid cities on Sept. 2. A decision will be made on Oct. 2 in Copenhagen.
No Games Chicago protests in Federal Plaza
April 2, 2009
The exterior buildings and bus stops of downtown Chicago covered in colorful “We Back the Bid” advertisements surround the No Games Chicago protestors carrying black and white “No Olympic Games” picket signs and shouting “Leave us be IOC.”
A group of about 200 protestors rallied at Dearborn and Adams in Federal Plaza Thursday to demonstrate their opposition to the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid. They marched to the AON building on Columbus Drive just north of Millennium Park where the Chicago 2016 offices are held. Organizers gathered at 4 p.m., drawing attention to bypassers who were interested in what they had to say. Many joined in the rally, donating their afternoon to standing in the cold weather, hopefully of a chance to get on television.
“The games would displace a lot of people from poor housing,” said Eric Stone, 24, who is visiting Chicago from San Francisco and experienced the housing problems caused by the Vancouver Olympic Games. “I just decided to stop and see what the commotion was all about.”
A recent survey commissioned by the bid committee found that 78 percent of the public supports Chicago’s Olympic bid. Yet, several demonstrations are scheduled for this week to draw attention from the visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC).
With Chicago Police standing nearby on bicycles, picketers Jonathon Brown, 20, from Colorado Springs, and Isaac Kester, 18, from Kansas City, said that “It just doesn’t make sense to spend millions of dollars on the Olympics when Chicago needs that funding for housing, hospitals and schools.”
No Games Chicago wants “better hospitals, housing, schools and trains- not games.” Members and organizers marked with neon green arm bands passed out fact sheets that said Chicago will lose money by hosting the Olympics and that it will cause housing and displacement problems like it has done in past cities who hosted the Games.
“I don’t understand why Chicago would put money into something that we don’t need,” said Mara Pitcher, 24, who lives on Chicago’s South Side. “We already have too many financial problems with our schools and hospitals. These things need to be fixed first.”
“We need to stop Mayor Daley from making Chicago’s worst financial decision ever,” said Ron Desnat, 63.
Whereas Chicago 2016 asks Chicagoans to “Help Chicago Shine,” No Games Chicago says “Rally. Speak out. Protest. Shut down the Olympic bid!”
The exterior buildings and bus stops of downtown Chicago covered in colorful “We Back the Bid” advertisements surround the No Games Chicago protestors carrying black and white “No Olympic Games” picket signs and shouting “Leave us be IOC.”
A group of about 200 protestors rallied at Dearborn and Adams in Federal Plaza Thursday to demonstrate their opposition to the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid. They marched to the AON building on Columbus Drive just north of Millennium Park where the Chicago 2016 offices are held. Organizers gathered at 4 p.m., drawing attention to bypassers who were interested in what they had to say. Many joined in the rally, donating their afternoon to standing in the cold weather, hopefully of a chance to get on television.
“The games would displace a lot of people from poor housing,” said Eric Stone, 24, who is visiting Chicago from San Francisco and experienced the housing problems caused by the Vancouver Olympic Games. “I just decided to stop and see what the commotion was all about.”
A recent survey commissioned by the bid committee found that 78 percent of the public supports Chicago’s Olympic bid. Yet, several demonstrations are scheduled for this week to draw attention from the visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC).
With Chicago Police standing nearby on bicycles, picketers Jonathon Brown, 20, from Colorado Springs, and Isaac Kester, 18, from Kansas City, said that “It just doesn’t make sense to spend millions of dollars on the Olympics when Chicago needs that funding for housing, hospitals and schools.”
No Games Chicago wants “better hospitals, housing, schools and trains- not games.” Members and organizers marked with neon green arm bands passed out fact sheets that said Chicago will lose money by hosting the Olympics and that it will cause housing and displacement problems like it has done in past cities who hosted the Games.
“I don’t understand why Chicago would put money into something that we don’t need,” said Mara Pitcher, 24, who lives on Chicago’s South Side. “We already have too many financial problems with our schools and hospitals. These things need to be fixed first.”
“We need to stop Mayor Daley from making Chicago’s worst financial decision ever,” said Ron Desnat, 63.
Whereas Chicago 2016 asks Chicagoans to “Help Chicago Shine,” No Games Chicago says “Rally. Speak out. Protest. Shut down the Olympic bid!”
The 2016 Olympics and Soccer World Cup 2018/2022?
May 9, 2009
One of the world’s most popular sports is football, more commonly known as soccer in the United States. Its international athletic attention is unrivaled, except by the actual Olympic Games, and even some would argue that fact. The World Cup and the Olympics are so similar on many levels that it may have even become a sore spot for the Olympic Committee.
Every four years, international soccer teams play against each other in a World Cup tournament, an event that gathers hundreds of thousands of spectators, rivaling the turn out for the Olympic soccer games. The host of the World Cup is chosen through bidding, similar to how the choice for the Olympic location functions. Chicago is not only waiting to hear from their 2016 Olympic bid, but the U.S. Soccer Federation is waiting on their 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid. A different country will host the two games.
Both the Olympic soccer games and the World Cup operate under the International Federation of Association Football governing body (FIFA). “We have a parallel working relationship with the Olympics,” said Neil Buethe, Senior Manager of Communications for the U.S. Soccer Federation, which operates out of Chicago. He describes the U.S. Soccer Federation as “big governing body” by itself, controlling a men’s and women’s team with 11 youth teams.
“People think not a lot of people enjoy soccer in the U.S., but there are,” Buethe said, mentioning the large immigrant population from Latino and European countries that support the sport. In the U.S., soccer is played more often in youth sports. “More kids are keeping with soccer now, picking soccer more often,” said Buethe. He mentioned that U.S. Soccer has some of the best youth development programs. Buethe hopes that if the U.S. is given the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, the sport would become more popular here.
“Interesting thing about soccer in the U.S., it’s extremely popular among children, but we’ve never really seen it really catch hold as a major national sport,” said President Barack Obama during an interview with Univision Sports on May 8. “I think that having the World Cup here would be huge for the sport here in the U.S. and it would a wonderful diplomatic coup where we can show what a wonderful country it is to everyone who participates around the world.”
Since the U.S. men’s soccer team is only 14 years old, it’s done significantly well so far, but “needs time to grow,” said Buethe. There are restrictions on the men’s Olympic soccer team, requiring that only three players can be older than 23 years old. These rules are in place to try to distinguish the Olympic game from the World Cup games. When women’s soccer was introduced in the Olympics in 1994, the U.S. women’s team won the first two gold medals. They also won the gold medal in 2008 at Beijing. The men’s team still needs some time to develop its competition against other nations who’ve developed their team since Olympic soccer’s inception.
“European-based countries are major competition [for the bid] because soccer is huge there,” said Buethe. But he also added that one of FIFA’s goals is to “spread the games around,” making the U.S. a good contender in need of a boost. The 2010 World Cup will be brought to South Africa for the first time, expanding the soccer tradition to another corner of the world.
Buethe also mentioned that when the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup it was a large success. It resulted in a $50 million surplus that has been used to develop the U.S. Soccer Federation since. They are hoping that its precedent is remembered in the bid review.
One of the issues with finding stadiums that can be used for the World Cup matches is size limitation and meeting the field standards of international football games. The bigger the stadium the better. The 2008 Beijing Games used their 78,000 square meter, 60,000 seat Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium for many of the soccer venues. Chicago already has Toyota Park, a soccer-specific stadium, among the 58 other high capacity venues that have expressed interest in the U.S. bidding process. Buethe mentioned that the U.S. has the ability to produce large stadiums in a short time, making it a strong factor in the bid.
Brazil is scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup and Rio de Janeiro is also bidding for 2016 Olympics. Critics voiced concerns that the World Cup would overshadow the Olympics if they were hosted in the same country within a few years time, but others said it would prove Brazil’s ability to host international sporting events.
“The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world,” said Sunil Gulati, President of the U.S. Soccer Federation and chairman of the bid. “We are confident we can put together a successful bid to host another impressive event, and invite fans from around the world to enjoy the world’s game in our country.”
Buethe said that most people think that the U.S. will get the 2022 World Cup, which allows for more time to prepare, build bigger stadiums, and gather more American support for the sport. If we get the World Cup, “we’ll put on the biggest, greatest event ever,” said Buethe.
“It’s a world’s sport,” he repeated, and there’s no denying it. “In any Olympics, soccer games are one of the largest events.” These factors all make the World Cup an event to pay attention to considering the Olympic race Chicago is involved in.
Chicago will host a World Cup qualifying match June 6 featuring U.S. versus Honduras at Soldier Field. The event will be a chance to prove that the venue can successfully host an international sporting event for its Olympic bid.
The deadline for submitting a national bid for the World Cup games of 2018/2022 is May 2010 and a decision will be announced in Dec. 2010.
One of the world’s most popular sports is football, more commonly known as soccer in the United States. Its international athletic attention is unrivaled, except by the actual Olympic Games, and even some would argue that fact. The World Cup and the Olympics are so similar on many levels that it may have even become a sore spot for the Olympic Committee.
Every four years, international soccer teams play against each other in a World Cup tournament, an event that gathers hundreds of thousands of spectators, rivaling the turn out for the Olympic soccer games. The host of the World Cup is chosen through bidding, similar to how the choice for the Olympic location functions. Chicago is not only waiting to hear from their 2016 Olympic bid, but the U.S. Soccer Federation is waiting on their 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid. A different country will host the two games.
Both the Olympic soccer games and the World Cup operate under the International Federation of Association Football governing body (FIFA). “We have a parallel working relationship with the Olympics,” said Neil Buethe, Senior Manager of Communications for the U.S. Soccer Federation, which operates out of Chicago. He describes the U.S. Soccer Federation as “big governing body” by itself, controlling a men’s and women’s team with 11 youth teams.
“People think not a lot of people enjoy soccer in the U.S., but there are,” Buethe said, mentioning the large immigrant population from Latino and European countries that support the sport. In the U.S., soccer is played more often in youth sports. “More kids are keeping with soccer now, picking soccer more often,” said Buethe. He mentioned that U.S. Soccer has some of the best youth development programs. Buethe hopes that if the U.S. is given the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, the sport would become more popular here.
“Interesting thing about soccer in the U.S., it’s extremely popular among children, but we’ve never really seen it really catch hold as a major national sport,” said President Barack Obama during an interview with Univision Sports on May 8. “I think that having the World Cup here would be huge for the sport here in the U.S. and it would a wonderful diplomatic coup where we can show what a wonderful country it is to everyone who participates around the world.”
Since the U.S. men’s soccer team is only 14 years old, it’s done significantly well so far, but “needs time to grow,” said Buethe. There are restrictions on the men’s Olympic soccer team, requiring that only three players can be older than 23 years old. These rules are in place to try to distinguish the Olympic game from the World Cup games. When women’s soccer was introduced in the Olympics in 1994, the U.S. women’s team won the first two gold medals. They also won the gold medal in 2008 at Beijing. The men’s team still needs some time to develop its competition against other nations who’ve developed their team since Olympic soccer’s inception.
“European-based countries are major competition [for the bid] because soccer is huge there,” said Buethe. But he also added that one of FIFA’s goals is to “spread the games around,” making the U.S. a good contender in need of a boost. The 2010 World Cup will be brought to South Africa for the first time, expanding the soccer tradition to another corner of the world.
Buethe also mentioned that when the U.S. hosted the 1994 World Cup it was a large success. It resulted in a $50 million surplus that has been used to develop the U.S. Soccer Federation since. They are hoping that its precedent is remembered in the bid review.
One of the issues with finding stadiums that can be used for the World Cup matches is size limitation and meeting the field standards of international football games. The bigger the stadium the better. The 2008 Beijing Games used their 78,000 square meter, 60,000 seat Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium for many of the soccer venues. Chicago already has Toyota Park, a soccer-specific stadium, among the 58 other high capacity venues that have expressed interest in the U.S. bidding process. Buethe mentioned that the U.S. has the ability to produce large stadiums in a short time, making it a strong factor in the bid.
Brazil is scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup and Rio de Janeiro is also bidding for 2016 Olympics. Critics voiced concerns that the World Cup would overshadow the Olympics if they were hosted in the same country within a few years time, but others said it would prove Brazil’s ability to host international sporting events.
“The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world,” said Sunil Gulati, President of the U.S. Soccer Federation and chairman of the bid. “We are confident we can put together a successful bid to host another impressive event, and invite fans from around the world to enjoy the world’s game in our country.”
Buethe said that most people think that the U.S. will get the 2022 World Cup, which allows for more time to prepare, build bigger stadiums, and gather more American support for the sport. If we get the World Cup, “we’ll put on the biggest, greatest event ever,” said Buethe.
“It’s a world’s sport,” he repeated, and there’s no denying it. “In any Olympics, soccer games are one of the largest events.” These factors all make the World Cup an event to pay attention to considering the Olympic race Chicago is involved in.
Chicago will host a World Cup qualifying match June 6 featuring U.S. versus Honduras at Soldier Field. The event will be a chance to prove that the venue can successfully host an international sporting event for its Olympic bid.
The deadline for submitting a national bid for the World Cup games of 2018/2022 is May 2010 and a decision will be announced in Dec. 2010.
Sandusky says Chicago 2016 continues work after the IOC visit
April 23, 2009
In a private presentation to DePaul University journalism graduate students, Patrick Sandusky, Vice President of Communications for Chicago 2016, described some of the city’s Olympic bid strategies. He has been literally around the world to sell the case of Chicago 2016. “I’ve been with the bid since day one,” Sandusky said proudly, wearing a small pin fashioning the Chicago bid campaign symbol. He presented the “Chicago we showed the International Olympic Committee” who came to visit a few weeks ago (Apr. 3-7). The results of the sales pitch won’t be known until Sept. 2 when the IOC releases a summary report of all the bid cities.
What has now become a three-year running campaign, the Chicago 2016 group hopes that their efforts will succeed when the decision is announced Oct. 2 in Copenhagen. The recent visit was a chance for the IOC to “see Chicago in person, in reality” said Sandusky, stressing that this was a final chance to show that Chicago should get the bid. Sandusky said “the visit went really well.” The fact that his hopes are up means Chicago still has a running chance of being chosen. Using a golf analogy, Sandusky said “we kept it in the fairway” which is all that they could ask for. He recapped some of the presentations made during the visit:
Chicago is my kind of town. Apparently, it is unknown to the world outside of Chicago that there is an international scale of diversity the city has to offer. The video featured how Chicago can provide comfort, safety, transportation and entertainment. We wanted to focus the showcase on the people of Chicago as one of our assets Sandusky said. He further explained how the diversity in terms of everything including people, culture and sports makes Chicago a good option to host the international Olympic Games.
Art Institute impressions. “We only had one day to entertain them, one opportunity” said Sandusky. Chicago 2016 chose to host a small, private dinner for the IOC at the Art Institute’s new Modern Wing, overlooking Millennium Park and a spectacular skyline of buildings sporting “Chicago 2016.” Sandusky said the dinner was designed to highlight the city’s plans, people and culture. The location was selected because it represents successful private investments; both the Modern Wing and Millennium Park demonstrate public and private partnership funding.
Sandusky also stressed that Chicago offers things the other bids don’t. The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, and Art Institute among others are all preexisting things that come with the bid and are available for spectators to enjoy, all conveniently located steps from the proposed venues. Chicago culture is a strong value presented in the bid and a “proposition no other city will offer.”
Let Friendship Shine. Chicago 2016 showcased the people of Chicago and their smiling faces. The diversity of the people is documented in Chicago 2016’s “Hello Sister” video, which features a clip of young girls from diverse backgrounds saying “hello sister” in their native languages, with Oprah’s voice narrating. This video reminds us that Chicago is a sister city to 27 other cities around the world and has a strong international nature (and the power of Oprah).
Animated flight over Chicago. Chicago 2016’s bid also focuses on the compactness of the Games. This clip said the Games would be “in the center of the city, in the center of a nation.” Sandusky rattled off some facts: “eighty-five percent of the venues would be within eight kilometers of the Olympic ring near the heart of the city providing central, easy movement, integrated into the culture of the city. Seventy-nine percent of the sports would take place in existing and temporary venues.” This computer animated presentation painted the picture of the Olympic scene, highlighting how compact and convenient the locations would be.
But now that the IOC visit has passed, Chicago 2016 is working on the domestic level and trying to convince three million Chicagoans that hosting the Olympics would be a good thing. Sandusky said he’s working on a “multilayer campaign” for many different people. He presents that the Games will stimulate Chicago economy because it brings people to the city that wouldn’t have been there before. “There will be a direct economic impact: bring $22 billion in Illinois, $13 billion in Chicago alone, and 300,000 jobs over 11 years,” said Sandusky.
“But that’s not why we’re bidding for it,” said Sandusky as he turned his focus away from economy towards Chicago’s youth. He said that the Olympics would not only build a lasting impression that would get kids active in sports, but it would leave facilities that the public could use. The locations for proposed events make use of land in places like Washington Park, Northerly Island, and Michael Reese Hospital. “Even though we are a private bid, we are looking to help Chicago,” Sandusky said.
A video clip demonstrated how children active in sports programs, particularly Olympic sports like gymnastics, are taken off the street and taught to be goal-oriented, committed, hardworking. These sports programs, like World Sport Chicago featured in the video, give kids a motivational boost that will keep them out of trouble. Sandusky said the Olympics would attract children to sports and the facilities would be scaled back after the Games ended so that the community could use them. This approach to emotional appeal makes it clear that Chicago 2016 is offering a sales pitch, hoping they are successful in bringing home the Games.
We need to “convince the IOC that we will bring the most to the Olympic movement” said Sandusky. With all the presentations about diversity and culture, how could we not?
In a private presentation to DePaul University journalism graduate students, Patrick Sandusky, Vice President of Communications for Chicago 2016, described some of the city’s Olympic bid strategies. He has been literally around the world to sell the case of Chicago 2016. “I’ve been with the bid since day one,” Sandusky said proudly, wearing a small pin fashioning the Chicago bid campaign symbol. He presented the “Chicago we showed the International Olympic Committee” who came to visit a few weeks ago (Apr. 3-7). The results of the sales pitch won’t be known until Sept. 2 when the IOC releases a summary report of all the bid cities.
What has now become a three-year running campaign, the Chicago 2016 group hopes that their efforts will succeed when the decision is announced Oct. 2 in Copenhagen. The recent visit was a chance for the IOC to “see Chicago in person, in reality” said Sandusky, stressing that this was a final chance to show that Chicago should get the bid. Sandusky said “the visit went really well.” The fact that his hopes are up means Chicago still has a running chance of being chosen. Using a golf analogy, Sandusky said “we kept it in the fairway” which is all that they could ask for. He recapped some of the presentations made during the visit:
Chicago is my kind of town. Apparently, it is unknown to the world outside of Chicago that there is an international scale of diversity the city has to offer. The video featured how Chicago can provide comfort, safety, transportation and entertainment. We wanted to focus the showcase on the people of Chicago as one of our assets Sandusky said. He further explained how the diversity in terms of everything including people, culture and sports makes Chicago a good option to host the international Olympic Games.
Art Institute impressions. “We only had one day to entertain them, one opportunity” said Sandusky. Chicago 2016 chose to host a small, private dinner for the IOC at the Art Institute’s new Modern Wing, overlooking Millennium Park and a spectacular skyline of buildings sporting “Chicago 2016.” Sandusky said the dinner was designed to highlight the city’s plans, people and culture. The location was selected because it represents successful private investments; both the Modern Wing and Millennium Park demonstrate public and private partnership funding.
Sandusky also stressed that Chicago offers things the other bids don’t. The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, and Art Institute among others are all preexisting things that come with the bid and are available for spectators to enjoy, all conveniently located steps from the proposed venues. Chicago culture is a strong value presented in the bid and a “proposition no other city will offer.”
Let Friendship Shine. Chicago 2016 showcased the people of Chicago and their smiling faces. The diversity of the people is documented in Chicago 2016’s “Hello Sister” video, which features a clip of young girls from diverse backgrounds saying “hello sister” in their native languages, with Oprah’s voice narrating. This video reminds us that Chicago is a sister city to 27 other cities around the world and has a strong international nature (and the power of Oprah).
Animated flight over Chicago. Chicago 2016’s bid also focuses on the compactness of the Games. This clip said the Games would be “in the center of the city, in the center of a nation.” Sandusky rattled off some facts: “eighty-five percent of the venues would be within eight kilometers of the Olympic ring near the heart of the city providing central, easy movement, integrated into the culture of the city. Seventy-nine percent of the sports would take place in existing and temporary venues.” This computer animated presentation painted the picture of the Olympic scene, highlighting how compact and convenient the locations would be.
But now that the IOC visit has passed, Chicago 2016 is working on the domestic level and trying to convince three million Chicagoans that hosting the Olympics would be a good thing. Sandusky said he’s working on a “multilayer campaign” for many different people. He presents that the Games will stimulate Chicago economy because it brings people to the city that wouldn’t have been there before. “There will be a direct economic impact: bring $22 billion in Illinois, $13 billion in Chicago alone, and 300,000 jobs over 11 years,” said Sandusky.
“But that’s not why we’re bidding for it,” said Sandusky as he turned his focus away from economy towards Chicago’s youth. He said that the Olympics would not only build a lasting impression that would get kids active in sports, but it would leave facilities that the public could use. The locations for proposed events make use of land in places like Washington Park, Northerly Island, and Michael Reese Hospital. “Even though we are a private bid, we are looking to help Chicago,” Sandusky said.
A video clip demonstrated how children active in sports programs, particularly Olympic sports like gymnastics, are taken off the street and taught to be goal-oriented, committed, hardworking. These sports programs, like World Sport Chicago featured in the video, give kids a motivational boost that will keep them out of trouble. Sandusky said the Olympics would attract children to sports and the facilities would be scaled back after the Games ended so that the community could use them. This approach to emotional appeal makes it clear that Chicago 2016 is offering a sales pitch, hoping they are successful in bringing home the Games.
We need to “convince the IOC that we will bring the most to the Olympic movement” said Sandusky. With all the presentations about diversity and culture, how could we not?
Learning from Beijing's mistakes in Paralympics
April 30, 2009
The Paralympics have not yet received the hype and crowds of the Olympic Games, but Mitch Carr, Director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Wirtz Sports Program and Galvin Fitness Center (RIC) thinks that it might be one of the keys to Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. He traveled to the Beijing 2008 Games to observe the behind the scenes of what went right and what went wrong and tries to help Chicago’s bid become a reality.
What was initially set up for injured military officers of World War II to play wheelchair sports in 1948 has grown into the International Paralympic events that occur a couple of weeks after the Olympic Games. Today the Games are growing quickly with over 4,000 athletes from 148 countries.
After years of hosting the Paralympics in cities different from the Olympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has made an effort to coordinate and unite the two Games. This move towards inclusion calls for major improvements from the Beijing Games, where the Olympic rings were covered up and even a different logo was used. The Paralympics were not advertised in conjunction with the Olympics, something that Chicago 2016 has tried to rectify. “You will always hear Chicago 2016 mention the Olympics and Paralympics together,” said Carr. “We are hoping the 2016 movement can help this move forward and bring these two entities together.”
Carr’s firsthand experience with the Beijing Paralympics allows him to discuss where there is room for improvement. He visually explained the “unacceptable” little available seating for the disabled, showing how the seats were under the upper decks so these spectators could not see the fireworks and other events happening in the sky above them. Carr told the story about how he helped carry wheelchairs up three flights of stairs because the elevators were blocked off. Being a member of Chicago 2016’s Paralympic advisory committee and Legacy committee, he tells of these experiences and helps the bid project plans that would give better opportunities for the handicapped, particularly when it comes to the Paralympics.
Very weary of speaking for Chicago 2016, but extremely knowledgeable of the Games, Carr talked about how, if given the Games, Chicago will be given the opportunity to change not only America’s negative image for hosting past Paralympics, but the American attitude towards sports and physical activity for the physically disabled. The 1996 Atlanta Games did not leave a favorable impression of U.S. commitment to the Paralympic movement. Chicago would be a chance to revive this image. Chicago is already a handicap-friendly city, including an Office of Disabilities and sidewalks with curbs. “From a city perspective, we are much further along than other countries,” Carr said. “But we still have problems with our transportation system.”
Carr works at the top rehabilitation hospital in America (according to U.S. News & World Report) and knows the beneficial effects exercise can have on the physically disabled. Just like how the Olympics will leave a legacy on Chicago children and their interest in sports, so will the Paralympics leave a legacy of their own on the 21 million disabled Americans.
The Beijing Games were surprised when sold out crowds at the Opening and Closing ceremony crowded the stadium. They became much more popular than could have been projected. Chicago is already building up its support system on top of RIC with “grassroots organizations,” like Paralympic Sport Chicago and the Chicago Paralympic Development Center which looks to improve the actual sporting events for the 2016 Games. Carr said they are going to focus on primary disability sports like Boccia, Cycling and Judo. “These sports are a weakness in the U.S. now, but we hope to improve them.”
Confident that Chicago’s bid has a solid chance at beating out Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro Oct. 2, Carr hopes they do so that the Paralympics can receive more attention in the U.S. “The Games have to happen in Chicago for our media to move forward in covering the Paralympics” because the U.S. still hasn’t broadcasted these Games. Carr said, “Chicago is the hope for Paralympics live coverage,” something he thinks his Paralympic athletes deserve for their hard work.
The Paralympics have not yet received the hype and crowds of the Olympic Games, but Mitch Carr, Director of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Wirtz Sports Program and Galvin Fitness Center (RIC) thinks that it might be one of the keys to Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. He traveled to the Beijing 2008 Games to observe the behind the scenes of what went right and what went wrong and tries to help Chicago’s bid become a reality.
What was initially set up for injured military officers of World War II to play wheelchair sports in 1948 has grown into the International Paralympic events that occur a couple of weeks after the Olympic Games. Today the Games are growing quickly with over 4,000 athletes from 148 countries.
After years of hosting the Paralympics in cities different from the Olympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has made an effort to coordinate and unite the two Games. This move towards inclusion calls for major improvements from the Beijing Games, where the Olympic rings were covered up and even a different logo was used. The Paralympics were not advertised in conjunction with the Olympics, something that Chicago 2016 has tried to rectify. “You will always hear Chicago 2016 mention the Olympics and Paralympics together,” said Carr. “We are hoping the 2016 movement can help this move forward and bring these two entities together.”
Carr’s firsthand experience with the Beijing Paralympics allows him to discuss where there is room for improvement. He visually explained the “unacceptable” little available seating for the disabled, showing how the seats were under the upper decks so these spectators could not see the fireworks and other events happening in the sky above them. Carr told the story about how he helped carry wheelchairs up three flights of stairs because the elevators were blocked off. Being a member of Chicago 2016’s Paralympic advisory committee and Legacy committee, he tells of these experiences and helps the bid project plans that would give better opportunities for the handicapped, particularly when it comes to the Paralympics.
Very weary of speaking for Chicago 2016, but extremely knowledgeable of the Games, Carr talked about how, if given the Games, Chicago will be given the opportunity to change not only America’s negative image for hosting past Paralympics, but the American attitude towards sports and physical activity for the physically disabled. The 1996 Atlanta Games did not leave a favorable impression of U.S. commitment to the Paralympic movement. Chicago would be a chance to revive this image. Chicago is already a handicap-friendly city, including an Office of Disabilities and sidewalks with curbs. “From a city perspective, we are much further along than other countries,” Carr said. “But we still have problems with our transportation system.”
Carr works at the top rehabilitation hospital in America (according to U.S. News & World Report) and knows the beneficial effects exercise can have on the physically disabled. Just like how the Olympics will leave a legacy on Chicago children and their interest in sports, so will the Paralympics leave a legacy of their own on the 21 million disabled Americans.
The Beijing Games were surprised when sold out crowds at the Opening and Closing ceremony crowded the stadium. They became much more popular than could have been projected. Chicago is already building up its support system on top of RIC with “grassroots organizations,” like Paralympic Sport Chicago and the Chicago Paralympic Development Center which looks to improve the actual sporting events for the 2016 Games. Carr said they are going to focus on primary disability sports like Boccia, Cycling and Judo. “These sports are a weakness in the U.S. now, but we hope to improve them.”
Confident that Chicago’s bid has a solid chance at beating out Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro Oct. 2, Carr hopes they do so that the Paralympics can receive more attention in the U.S. “The Games have to happen in Chicago for our media to move forward in covering the Paralympics” because the U.S. still hasn’t broadcasted these Games. Carr said, “Chicago is the hope for Paralympics live coverage,” something he thinks his Paralympic athletes deserve for their hard work.
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