OLYMPICS 2016, RIO de JANEIRO IS IT!

From animosity to jealousy to racism, there is no reason that have not been adduced by pundits to explain why Chicago failed to secure the hosting rights to the 2016 summer Olympics games? Icheoku says, what a complete balderdash; as the principal reason why Chicago failed was a tactical 'kill-off the strongest contender' ploy, deployed by the other rival three cities! Their game plan was, "let us knock-off the strongest city that could secure the hosting rights, to improve our odds!" If we check-mate Chicago early enough in the voting then our chances will be greatly improved, as the major threat would have been taken care of?

Nothing else answers the question, why Chicago failed, any better. Chicago was a victim of a gang-up conspiracy to get it out of the way and fast before it could do us an irreparable damage! The other three cities ganged-up to remove the greatest threat, Chicago and thereby increasing their respective chances at securing the hosting rights to 2016. It is somewhat akin to 'CBS Survivor' reality game-show, where only deft tact makes a winner; remember, it was a game, preparatory to a game, and games were played? So Chicago did not lose because of lack of preparation or because President Barack Obama did not have the necessary star power to pull it off, no, Chicago was a victim of a conspiratorial gang-up by other competing cities of Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro to force her out early in the process, thereby getting rid of the greatest threat each of them has?

The voting process usually starts among the four finalist cities, each voting for their preferred city among them; and the candidate-city with the least amount of votes is eliminated at the end of the first round. The IOC members from country of the rejected city then join the voting and a new vote is cast between the three remaining cities. This process is repeated until a majority is found, usually in the third round. So with this stacked odd against Chicago and the fact that going to Rio de Janeiro will be such a wonderful opportunity to take the Olympics to South America for the first time in the history of the Olympics, played favorably in the triumph of Rio de Janeiro at Copenhagen. According to a recent comment which effectively encapsulated the feelings within the organising committee, made by a long-time International Olympics Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound , "Policy wise, the IOC has to decide if we're ready to go to a new continent of South America?" Icheoku says, this sentiment helped Rio de Janeiro a great deal, despite being labelled by Spain's Olympic vice-president Jose Maria Odriozola, as "the worst of the four candidates?"

Icheoku's analysis of the Copenhagen event is that Madrid lost because it is in Europe and a win would have made it somewhat an European affair with London 2012, Sochi (Russia) 2014 and then another, Madrid 2016? No way, the world of Olympics would not have allowed such lopsidedness or be very reluctant at best? Tokyo failed because its neighbor Beijing (China) just recently hosted the last 2008 Olympics and it would appear in geography and race, that it is 'back to there' again? Chicago lost because of a conspiracy of the other three cities, who seemingly agreed on the need to first remove the main threat to any of them securing the hosting rights? So, now you know why the streets of Rio de Janeiro are celebrating!

For those 'Blame-Obama-for-everything-and-anything' crowd, and who are now fingering the president for the fate which befell Chicago, Icheoku says to you, cut it off. President Barack Obama was not the reason Chicago failed; it fell to a gang-up and nothing could have stopped it, not even a western rise of the sun? We all should endeavor to be a good sport and see it that our hemisphere won; and we all can always look forward to the unending parties at Copacabana white sand beach!

President Barack Obama is a good sportsman and should not in any way or manner be ashamed, embarrassed or unfulfilled that Chicago did not sail through; he did all he could possibly do by sacrificing his time to fly out to Copenhagen to personally pitch for Chicago, but still no deal. He could have sent Joe Biden but he didn't? He could have sent Hillary Clinton, but he didn't? Instead he offered to go himself to Copenhagen, but that was not enough to thwart the conspiracy of the voting cities which had 'red-flagged' Chicago as the most threatening to their own ambition?

Not even the 'depressed and mean-looking' International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge could have changed what was lurking around. In the President's own very appropriate words, "One of the things that I think is most valuable about sports is that you can play a great game and still not win." So let us all be good sport in the elimination as we gave it our all including our president's visit but they said it was not enough. If President Obama had not gone to Denmark and Chicago lost, he would have been blamed for the loss as nay-sayers, would have chorused, 'if only he had gone?' Now he went and Chicago did not win, the same nay-sayers are saying 'he went and Chicago still lost?' So what is it America, a Catch 22?

Icheoku says, the only reason some people are feeling Chicago should not have lost, is their lack of sportsmanship and the feeling of entitlement! According to this people, 'since the American president made effort to go to Copenhagen, that was enough to secure the Olympics?' But was King Juan Carlos of Spain not in Copenhagen? Same with Japanese Prime Minster Yukio Hatoyama, and Brazilian Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; all heads of state and governments? So why all the ruse about an America's president going to Copenhagen and not landing the Olympics for Chicago, if not the arrogant feeling of entitlement pervading our society?

What would the Spaniards say or do about their lost chance, after-all they were second finalist? Will they chew on their King for not trying hard enough or commend his efforts? What about the Japanese who are smarting that their long time rival China wowed the world in Beijing 2008 and wanted a pay-back and to out-do China? Will they protest their newly elected Prime Minister for not bringing home the Olympics? None of that will happen, as they understand that it is not a do or die affair; and in sports even the fittest and most prepared sometimes losses. You dust up and get up and go, and not sweat it too much as tomorrow is always another day!

But the regrets aside, America and Chicago should as sportsmen, suck it up and move on; Rio de Janeiro is close enough and still within our hemisphere. More-so with what China put up in Beijing 2008, a hard to beat act, any country coming after them has a very tall order to meet; and so has Rio de Janeiro 2016 joined London before it in 2012, as having their jobs fully cut out for them. If I were Chicago, I will take the result and not whine about it, and pray that by the next time the Olympics comes around, the memory of Beijing 2008 would have somewhat faded into distant memory and glad the present task to surpass or at leas equal China went to someone else.

Admitted moral victory is not usually enough, but in this case, it is the second best thing available since President Barack Obama tried but could not deliver the bacon; unlike the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who helped London win the 2012 Games, and former Russian President Vladimir Putin who successfully led his country's Sochi's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. But hey, you win some and you lose some! So it was Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid in order of elimination, with Rio de Janeiro now crowned the city of Olympics 2016! Congratulations Rio and please let the preparation begin for the sumptuous carnival that will be Rio 2016!