As you know, the New Year has already seen Chicago take a significant step toward trying to gain the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games with the submission of the bid’s Applicant File to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. I hope you’ve had a chance to visit the Chicago 2016 Web site to download the Applicant File and to get more information about our concept for creating a truly spectacular Olympic experience for athletes, the Olympic Family, spectators, the city’s residents and the global television-viewing audience.

Next up on our calendar is assisting World Sport Chicago, in its mission to promote a legacy of Olympic sport, with hosting the second annual Chicago Cup, a wrestling event scheduled for Tuesday, February 5, at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Northwestern University’s campus in Evanston. Last year 7,000 people braved a snowstorm to cheer on the athletes; this installment features the world champion U.S. Greco-Roman men’s team against Bulgaria and the U.S. women’s freestyle team against Poland.

The next several months will be busy ones as we look toward the IOC’s announcement of the short list of Candidate Cities in June. As always, we’ll keep you informed about our activities and how you can contribute to our cause and help make our dream of a 2016 Games in Chicago a reality.

All the best,

Patrick G. Ryan
Chairman and CEO
Chicago 2016

Shotput Demo at
Holiday Sports Festival

The event, which is coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, the Chicago Park District and McCormick Place, featured the following Olympic and Paralympic athletes: Norm Bass, Kevin Bracken, Tony Brooks, Sandy Dukat, Michial Foy, Jennifer Johnson, Linda Mastandrea, Paul Moran, Gary Morgan, Bob Pickens, Tom Pukstys, Andy Rein, David Sims, Elizabeth Stone, Ann Swisshelm and Steve Williams. Also in attendance were hopefuls Jolene Moore, Becca Murray, three Illinois state curling champions, elite fencer Peter Vadala and his Redstar Fencing Club and Paralympic coach Bob Szyman. And just across the hall, Olympic athletes such as Ilija Lupulesku and others competed at the Killerspin Holiday Open.

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Paralympian Matt Scott

In the commercial, Scott, 22, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater junior and native of Detroit, bounces a ball and shoots baskets as he provides a list of excuses people come up with to avoid working out. The spot, which first aired on several network channels on December 31, ends with Scott slamming down two basketballs in front of his wheelchair saying, “My feet hurt.”

“For me to be portrayed as the quintessential athlete and to give a message to inspire, that’s tremendous for me, for U.S. Paralympics and for disabled athletes,” said Scott, who won a gold medal at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and in April is expected to make the roster for the 2008 Beijing Games. “It’s a huge step. It’s earth-shattering.”

Born with spina bifida, a condition involving the incomplete development of the spinal cord, Scott started out playing sports such as basketball, football and baseball with able-bodied athletes but doctors encouraged him to try sports for competitors with disabilities after spotting bruises from his tough, competitive, athletic play.

Nike recognized that same determination and athletic excellence when it cast Scott for the spot. “There is no substitute for working out and staying fit,” Scott said. “When people see this ad there is [a sense of]: Don’t make excuses in life, and you’ll be what you want to be.”

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Over the past month Chicago 2016, as part of its ongoing efforts to keep community groups and residents informed of its plans, met with a number of community groups such as the Lincoln Park Advisory Council; a group of Chicago residents—including business, philanthropic and athletic leaders along with several Olympians (Willie May and Willie Williams)—who are attempting to build an indoor track stadium for the Chicago Public Schools; the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) at the Kennicott Park Field House; and the Third Ward’s January ward meeting.

In addition to these sorts of community forums, Chicago 2016 will also be involved in the following events:

The 13th Annual Strictly Sailing Boat Show, January 31 to February 3.

This boat show is the Midwest’s only—and the nation’s largest—indoor all-sail boat show. Chicago 2016 will have a booth presence with U.S. Sailing and hopes to have several Olympic sailors and Olympic sailing hopefuls in attendance.

The second annual Chicago Cup international wrestling match, February 5th, Welsh-Ryan Arena.

World Sport Chicago hosts this exciting event that pits the world champion U.S. Greco-Roman men’s team against a strong team from Bulgaria. The women’s national team will also take on the Polish women’s team in Olympic freestyle weights.

View our updated schedule of community events…

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Cross Country Skier
Kikkan Randall

“Winning was like a dream come true,” said Randall, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, and Salt Lake City native who turned 25 on New Year’s Eve 2007. “I had a feeling that training was going well and I would have a shot. But it wasn’t until I crossed the finish line that I realized what I had achieved. Then it hit me what a big deal my win was to the whole country.”

Randall is off to a great start in 2008, having just captured her third consecutive U.S. sprint championships and her eighth U.S. gold medal at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, held at the Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Center in Houghton, Michigan.

“I almost ended my day when I fell in the quarterfinals. After that, I wasn’t taking anything for granted,” said Randall, nicknamed “Kikkanimal.”

Success is in Randall’s blood: she’s the niece of cross-country skiing Olympians Chris Haines (1976), her mother’s brother, and Betsy Haines (1980).

“My aunt and uncle were important in igniting my Olympic dream and for helping lay the foundation for an active lifestyle,” said Randall, a talented runner growing up.

Under the U.S. cross-country system, her training, discipline and hard work have made her one of our nation’s best ever and a medal contender for Vancouver 2010. The efforts of ski team officials to secure more funding for cross country after the past Olympic Games have also paid dividends, with Randall (third in Russia at the same venue last January), Andy Newell (third in China in 2006) and Torin Koos (third in Estonia last year) all making trips to the podium since then.

“The positive energy that exudes from the Games inspires me to bring out the best in myself,” said the 2002 and 2006 Olympian. “My title as Olympian has allowed me to have a bigger positive impact on my community in promoting the ideals the Olympics were founded on. Right now the U.S. team is looking forward to performing well when we compete on North American soil at the World Cup event in Canmore, Alberta.”

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U.S. Paralympics Table Tennis Championships Medalists

South Korea had the largest contingent and won the most medals of the tournament—eight gold, five silver and six bronze. France, with the second–largest presence at the tournament, won three gold, six silver and two bronze medals. Although the U.S. team was smaller than some of the delegations, they brought home one gold, a silver and four bronze medals.

According to Jennifer Johnson, co-chair of the organizing committee, the tournament was a tremendous success. The facilities were also well received. “McCormick Place and the hotel were terrific. It was great that the athletes could go back to their rooms between matches and not have to worry about getting on a bus. McCormick was very accessible, from the bathrooms to the floors, which were easy to roll on.”

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The 45th Annual Midlands Wrestling Tournament, which attracts about 350 of the nation’s best wrestlers, took place at Welsh-Ryan Arena at Northwestern University in Evanston on December 29–30. Some of the more than 90 Olympians who have participated in this event over the years returned for “Midlands 45” in anticipation of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Athletes honored in a ceremony prior to the finals included Don Behm, Kevin Bracken, Tom Brands, Carmello Flores, Michial Foy, Dan Gable, Mark Johnson, Randy Lewis, Tom Minkel, Ben Peterson, John Peterson, Andy Rein, Cael Sanderson, Bill Scherr, Tim Vanni, Brad Vering and Chuck Yagla.

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