Chicago impresses evaluation team

The head of the International Olympic Committee's evaluation team said she was "impressed" by Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games but gave no hint as to whether it had an edge over its three rival candidates.

Praising Chicago officials' hospitality and hard work in presenting their vision for the Games over a whirlwind six days, bid commission chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel, of Morocco, gave little away as to whether Chicago had an edge over Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro or Madrid.

"We felt, honestly, that the concept, the vision and the love of the sports were there," she told a news conference.

"We have been most impressed by what Chicago has to offer to the Olympic Games and to the Olympic movement," she said.

The 13-member commission evaluates 17 themes for each of the four cities, including aspects such as the suitability of venues, financial considerations and the legacy left behind for residents.

The commission will visit each bid city and its written reports to the IOC will be made available to the public in September.

IOC members, who do not make site visits and rely on the evaluation team for their information and impressions, will then vote on October 2 in Copenhagen on which city will host the Games.

"We are leaving with a very strong impression that the bid is a strong one. But there is only one winner. This is what I want to emphasise," Moutawakel said.

"There are four very strong bidders. But at the end there is only one winner."

She described Chicago as a "vibrant" city where she perceived a love of sport extending from the amateur ranks to the professional teams. The city's Olympic plan was "compact" and the distances between venues "reasonable", she added.

The commission was feted by Mayor Richard Daley with help from celebrities such as television talk show host Oprah Winfrey and current and former Olympians.

Another perceived advantage of Chicago's bid is that it is the home of popular US President Barack Obama. His house is not far from the proposed site for the 80,000 seat Olympic stadium, which will be largely dismantled after the Games.