Chicago's presentation was anaemic, says IOC member

Chicago's anaemic presentation at Friday's vote to choose the host for the 2016 Olympics was partly to blame for the US city's humiliating first-round elimination, a voting delegate said yesterday.

Israel's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Alex Gilady said Chicago's dismal showing at the Copenhagen congress that chose Rio de Janeiro to stage the Games was enhanced only by US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

"Chicago's presentation without (the Obamas) was very, very anaemic and Rio's presentation was excellent," Gilady told Israel Radio in a telephone interview from Copenhagen.

Chicago's shock exit came after it received only 18 votes from the more than 100 IOC members despite the presence for the first time of a sitting US president and an eloquent speech from the first lady.

Obama paid a flying visit of only a few hours to Copenhagen to bolster the Chicago bid team's effort but Gilady did not think this had an adverse effect on the voting.

"This really was not against Obama, on the contrary. His wife, who spent three days here, did excellent work and he took the time to come here especially for a 45-minute presentation," Gilady said.

He added that tactical voting by IOC members from Asian countries to ensure Tokyo - the other candidate city alongside eventual runner-up Madrid - stayed in the race could also have been a factor in Chicago's early exit.

"It is also possible that the Asian vote to try to avoid embarrassment for Tokyo caused embarrassment to another city," he said.

Gilady also mentioned the United States Olympic Committee's long-running dispute with the IOC.

"There is also the very shaky relationship with the American Olympic Committee which carried a certain weight, although every delegate voted as they saw fit," said Gilady, Israel's only IOC member and a high-powered TV executive at NBC.