(eca034) After Blair and Putin its Michelle Obama before the IOC (News Feature)

By John Bagratuni Sep 12, 2009, 12:00 GMT

   Hamburg - Michelle Obama follows in the footsteps of Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin on the big Olympic bidding stage when the United States First Lady will lobby for her hometown of Chicago.

   The White House announced on Friday that President Barack Obama won't come to the final presentation and election of the 2016 host city on October 2 in Copenhagen by the International Olympic Committee, but that his wife will make the trip to Denmark.

   Chicago is bidding to get the Games against Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.

   Brazil president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be in Copenhagen, the Madrid delegation is headed by Spanish King Juan Carlos, and Tokyo has invited Japanese Crown Prince Naruhtio and incoming Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

   The presence of top-ranked politicians at the election of Olympic hosts is important these days, now that IOC members are no longer allowed to visit the candidate cities in the wake of the Salt Lake City bribes-for-votes scandal.

   Blair was instrumental in helping London getting the 2012 Games when the then Prime Minister travelled to Singapore for the vote in 2005. Two years ago in Guatemala, the then Russian president Putin did the same for Sochi to land the 2014 Winter Games.

   IOC president Jacques Rogge recently told the German Press Agency dpa that an 'impeccable bid' is the top criteria. However, he also named 'human chemistry' an important factor for the final decision.

   'The bid cities are selling something and you have good sellers and bad sellers,' said Rogge.

   'That is what happened with London and (bid chief) Sebastian Coe and Tony Blair. They (the IOC members) trusted London to deliver good Games. That made a difference. Because if you look at the quality of London and Paris there is no big difference. But this chemistry factor made the difference.'

   Michelle Obama has certainly charmed many people inside and outside the United States, and handily even matched French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model, during the Obamas' visit to France.

   The trip to Copenhagen is a matter of the heart for the First Lady, who was born and raised on the Chicago South Side. President Obama personally informed Rogge on Friday that his wife would come to Copenhagen.

   'One of the great honors I have as First Lady is to represent America around the world and it is with great pride that I will go to Copenhagen to make the case for the United States to host the 2016 Olympics,' Michelle Obama said in a statement.

   'There is no doubt in my mind that Chicago would offer the world a fantastic setting for these historic Games and I hope that the Olympic torch will have the chance to burn brightly in my hometown.'

   Bid chief Patrick Ryan is certain that Michelle Obama can do a fantastic job for Chicago in Copenhagen while Barack Obama will lobby from home via another expected video message as part of the final presentation on election day.

   'We are excited about Michelle coming. The First Lady has a global image that is just tremendous. ... It is a great thing for our bid. She will represent her husband and life partner extremely well. It is her hometown and she is an athlete herself,' said Ryan.

   While Barack Obama stated the ongoing health insurance reform as the reason for his absence, some have suggested the president was advised to stay home to avoid having to witness a possible defeat.

   According to Rogge, his absence is not a disadvantage.

   'When Athens won the (2004) Games in 1997 (Prime Minister Kostas) Simitis made a video call from Athens and Athens won,' Rogge told dpa.

   'You had (Argentina president) Carlos Menem of Buenos Aires present and (president Nelson) Mandela for South Africa present. Simitis was at home in Athens. He made a nice speech by video and Athens won.'