[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11336]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                2016 SUMMER OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr President, I am pleased to acknowledge a significant 
milestone this week in Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympic 
and Paralympic Games.
  On Wednesday, June 4, the International Olympic Committee announced 
that it had selected Chicago as one of the four finalists for 2016.
  The Chicago 2016 organizers, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the 
people of Chicago deserve praise for a job well done.
  Because of their fine efforts, Chicago is well prepared to face stiff 
competition from the three remaining cities--Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, 
and Tokyo.
  Chicago is a diverse city with culture and history to inspire people 
around the world. From our beautiful downtown parks to magnificent 
lakefront to terrific sports venues, Chicago is a world-class city that 
has what it takes to bring the Olympics back to the Midwest for the 
first time in over 100 years.
  Last October, Chicago demonstrated its ability to host a major 
international sporting event, when 557 boxers and several thousand 
other visitors from more than a hundred countries traveled to Chicago 
for the World Boxing Championships, a qualifying event for this 
summer's Beijing Olympics.
  Many of these people were first-time visitors who hadn't known what 
to expect going in, but who fell in love with the city. Those of us who 
know Chicago, who have lived and worked there, were not at all 
surprised by the visitors' rave reviews.
  As the Chicago 2016 organizing committee has so eloquently put it:

       Chicago is built on a bold tradition of dreams that we turn 
     into reality. From rebuilding our city to even greater glory 
     after the 1871 Fire, hosting the World's Columbian Exposition 
     and the 1933 World's Fair and transforming an old rail yard 
     into Millennium Park, dreaming and achieving is part of 
     Chicago's DNA.

  The U.S. Government is working on several fronts to help support the 
U.S. bid. The Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to 
make the travel of legitimate Olympic athletes, coaches, and fans as 
smooth and hassle-free as possible.
  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently held a hearing on 
ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Doping in Sport. 
The International Olympic Committee expects adherence to this 
Convention by countries that will host future Olympic Games.
  I look forward to working with the Chicago 2016 organizing committee, 
the U.S. Olympic Committee, and my colleagues here in Congress as we 
move forward over the next 16 months preparing for the IOC's final 
decision in October 2009.
  Again, I congratulate the great city of Chicago on its achievements 
to date, and I look forward to welcoming the 2016 Olympics to Illinois.

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