Olympic dreams dashed, but Chicago’s still a world-class city
October 5, 2009 at 7:22 am 2 comments
It’s been a tough weekend for those of us Chicagoans who dreamed of bringing the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to our fair city. Friday, we found out that years of preparation came to naught when the International Olympic Committee ousted Chicago in the first round of voting, along with Tokyo. We longed to share our Midwestern American city—one filled with incredible architecture, home to people from dozens of nationalities and languages, not to mention innovative cuisine that rivals anything Los Angeles or New York City have to offer. But alas—the Olympic dream wasn’t to be, despite the passionate presentations of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle in Copenhagen last week.
As a native Chicagoan, though, I like to think the city’s exposure to the global community over the past few years have exposed more of the world to the treasures here. Perhaps instead of foreign visitors automatically setting their sights on New York and Hollywood, they’ll spend their holidays and valuable tourist dollars here in the Windy City, a cultural gem underrated far too long.
But good for Rio de Janeiro. May they host a memorable 2016 Olympics, one that will showcase the amazing and gorgeous diversity of the Brazilian people. If we in Chicago couldn’t take home the gold, I’m just glad that Brazil—and South America, for the first time—will get a chance to shine on the world stage.
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Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: 2016 Olympics, 2016 Summer Olympic Games, American, Brazil, Chicago, Chicagoans, Copenhagen, Hollywood, International Olympic Committee, Los Angeles, Michelle Obama, Midwestern, New York, President Barack Obama, Rio de Janeiro, South America, Tokyo.
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1.
urbantravelgirl | October 16, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Ciao, Sharona — Walter is SO not kidding. I know I’m biased and all, but Chicago is a fabulous, world-class city that knows how to do things BIG. Perhaps in a different year we might have won, but we had no chance — it was RIO, RIO, RIO all the way. At this point, I wish ‘em luck! Not sure how they’re going to pull it off, but they’ve got seven years to figure it out!
Maureen
2.
Sharon | October 16, 2009 at 11:05 am
To steal a line from my Chicago-born husband Walter, “It’s the world’s loss.”