President and first lady make pitch for Chicago to host 2016 Summer Olympics

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President Obama and the first lady got deeply personal today, when they urged the International Olympic Committee to pick Chicago for the 2016 Summer Games.

The panel will choose today among Chicago, Rio de Janiero, Tokyo and Madrid. If Chicago wins, the Madison area would host some of the Olympic bicycling competition.

Obama was the first U.S. president ever to make a pitch in person to the IOC.

He called his home town of Chicago a place of diversity and warmth and he said Chicago knows how to put on big events from the first World’s Fair over a century ago to the World Cup soccer tournament in 1994.

Michelle Obama told the committee what hosting the Olympics would mean to her father who taught her as a girl how to punch better than the boys.

She said Chicago’s vision for hosting the Olympics and the Paralympic Games is all about inspiring a generation and creating a lasting legacy.

Tags: wi sports, president obama, 2016 olympics, chicago