Chicago has been eliminated from Olympic balloting in the early rounds of voting by the International Olympic Committee, a stunningly swift defeat for the U.S. bid personally pitched by President Barack Obama.No word yet from Chicago Mob boss John "No Nose" DiFronzo on this one.
Balloting continues in Copenhagen, where Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid were also seeking approval to host the 2016 Summer Games.
To some observers, it appeared that Chicago's bid had been fast gathering momentum in the last week. Daley and others began to show their confidence as one piece after another fell into place. From First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey's early commitments to travel with them to Copenhagen, to President Barack Obama's late decision to go, to bad news trickling out about the Rio's bid, indicators looked to be going Chicago's way.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Early exit stuns Chicago
The Chicago Tribune reports:
