2016 Olympic host and presidential election - IOC sets busy Copenhagen agenda (Feature)

By John Bagratuni Sep 24, 2009, 5:04 GMT

   Hamburg - A wide open election for the 2016 Olympic host city from candidates Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago kickstarts 10 days of upcoming International Olympic Committee (IOC) meetings in Copenhagen.

   IOC president Jacques Rogge has predicted a neck-to-neck race between the four cities on October 2 and the outcome could hinge on whether United States President Barack Obama's decides to travel to Denmark.

   Rogge himself will hope for a handsome majority from the 121st IOC Session when he seeks re-election for a final four-year term, while Golf and rugby want the nod to become Olympic sports in 2016.

   The Copenhagen meetings which run until October 9 also feature an Olympic Congress in which the Olympic Movement looks at its role in society and wants to retain the Olympics as the world's premier sports event.

   'We are heading for what I believe will be fascinating and very interesting days in Copenhagen,' said Rogge in a teleconference.

   The 2016 vote will come down to the wire after the IOC evaluation commission spoke of 'an extremely high level' of all bids. Each city has a one-hour presentation before the 115 IOC members on election day to make a final impression.

   'I think I can make a bet today and say that it will probably be a couple of votes - two, three, four,' said Rogge. 'Something like four or five votes is only the changing mind of two or three persons. If you can convince two people more you might win.'

   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 Naruhito and new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

   Obama initially stated the reform of the health care system for his absence and that his Chicago-born wife Michelle Obama will go instead. However, he has sent a letter of support to the IOC delegates and Chicago bid organizers are still holding out hope that he may make it after all.

   The presence of Obama would boost Chicago's chances, given that Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin were instrumental in getting the 2012 Games to London and 2014 Winter Olympics to Sochi.

   Rogge said it's 'absolutely not a requirement' that dignitaries attend. But he also named 'human chemistry' an important factor and said that Obama was charismatic' in his support for Chicago.

   Rio could win because the Olympics have never been in South America, with Rogge naming it 'one of the aspects that is considered.'

   Whoever hosts the Games could see rugby players, and Tiger Woods and company swinging their golf clubs. The IOC executive board picked them over baseball, softball, squash, karate and roller sports in its recommendation.

   Rogge, a former Belgian rugby international and Olympic yachtsman, dismissed criticism that the sports didn't need the Olympic stage, saying that 'if you have a sport that generates money you have a sport that is watched and desired and wanted by the people.'

   Looking at his own job, Rogge told German Press Agency dpa in an interview the 'privileged position ... gives you the power to realise things that you believe in and that you dream of in sport.'

   Rogge put the fight against doping top of the agenda when he was elected in 2001: His brainchild, the Youth Olympics, will make its debut next year. Under revised IOC rules he can only stay on another four years.

   'If you are engaged so heavily as I am ... I think 12 years is ok. You have the time to put your stamp on the organization, you have time to realize your ideas,' he said.

   The first Olympic Congress since 1994 brings together more than 1,000 delegates from the Olympic Movement: the IOC, sports federations, national Olympic Committees and others.

   'How do we interact with the changes in society? What should we change ... to stay in tune with everything that is happening in the world?' said Rogge, naming some aspects of the agenda.