Washington - US President Barack Obama on Wednesday hosted Olympians at the White House to promote Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. "Chicago is ready. The American people are ready. We want these games. We want them," Obama said, noting the many amenities in his adopted hometown, where First Lady Michelle Obama grew up and where the couple own a home.
The Midwestern US city on the shores of Lake Michigan is competing with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the winner is to be announced in a ceremony in Copenhagen on October 2.
Michelle Obama will travel to Copenhagen for the ceremony. The president said he would have gone to promote the city himself, but is too occupied with the debate over reforming the US health care system.
The first lady noted the international flavour of the city, saying athletes from around the world would feel at home there. She also pointed to the so-called Windy City's many loyal sports fans, who were sure to support the games.
"Nobody loves sports like the people of Chicago," she said.
