U.S. President-elect Barack Obama says that bringing the Olympics to his home city of Chicago would be an opportunity for the United States to reach out and welcome the world to its shores.
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| US President-elect Barack Obama addresses European Olympic Committee via videotape, 21 Nov. 2008 |
He made the remark in a presented Friday to the European Olympic Committee meeting in Istanbul. Mr. Obama said the Olympics offer the United States an opportunity to "strengthen our friendships across the globe."
Mr. Obama, a former Illinois senator who lives just a few blocks from Chicago's proposed Olympic stadium, said he deeply believes in the Olympic mission. The president-elect said his administration would bring a fresh perspective on America's role and responsibilities in the world. He said that uniting in a peaceful celebration of human achievement would help nations work together.
Chicago is one of four cities bidding to host the Games in 2016. The other candidates - Madrid (Spain), Tokyo, (Japan) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) also made presentations. The International Olympic Committee will select the 2016 host at a meeting in Copenhagen next October. Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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