After such a busy January, this month has given us at Chicago 2016 an opportunity to start preparing for the flurry of activity we expect in the coming months. In such a time, it becomes apparent that everyone has a role to play in helping us realize our dream of a Chicago Games in 2016. For this bid to succeed, it’s crucial for the residents of our city to be behind the effort and to understand what a tremendous, historic opportunity the Games represent. And that’s where you come in: as supporters of Chicago 2016’s bid, we need you to educate your family, friends and neighbors about the benefits of the bid. Forward this newsletter to people and ask them to visit our site. Visit the Chicago 2016 Web site and sign up to volunteer for events this summer. Download the Applicant File and share details of our plan with those who may be interested. I truly believe our plan for the Games will deliver a spectacular Olympic experience for the city and its residents. As we move forward, let’s work together to bring the Games to this amazing city.

All the best,

Patrick G. Ryan
Chairman and CEO
Chicago 2016

Chicago 2016 marked the six-month countdown to the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games with the opening of its online store, the only place to purchase official Chicago 2016 merchandise. Items include T-shirts, coats, vests and hats available in different colors and sizes. In addition, athletes and fans of the bid will be able to show their support while exercising along the lakefront in their Chicago 2016 Dri-Fit shirts. The e-store accepts all major credit cards, and transactions are easy and secure. Follow this link to tour the store, and check back regularly in the coming weeks to see new products. This occasion also marks the first time Chicago 2016 apparel featuring the “Chicago Star“ logo is available to the public. The logo was unveiled in 2007 as a unique symbol of Chicago (the star adorns the city’s flag) and was inspired by the ideals and values of the Olympic Movement and the City of Chicago. The six points on the star represent hope, respect, harmony, friendship, excellence and celebration.

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World Sport Chicago successfully hosted the second annual Chicago Cup on Tuesday, February 5, demonstrating to the international sporting community that Chicago is a great sports town. Despite the brutal weather conditions and the Super Tuesday primaries, a boisterous crowd of nearly 1,500 people, including a sizable Bulgarian contingent, came out to cheer on the wrestlers. The 2008 Chicago Cup featured the 2007 world champion U.S. Greco-Roman men’s team competing against a strong team from Bulgaria. The U.S. women’s national team also returned to face off against the Polish women’s team in Olympic freestyle weights. Both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams triumphed—5 to 1 and 3 to 2, respectively. Highlights included Lindsey Durlacher’s come-from-behind victory over Venelin Venkov at 55 kg and T. C. Dantzler’s defeat of reigning world champion Yavor Yanakiev at 74 kg. Prior to the match, the wrestlers signed autographs for those in attendance, and the U.S. coaches conducted demonstrations to educate the crowd about the finer points of freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.

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Chicago 2016 has been active in spreading the word about the bid through a variety of channels. Here are a few highlights for the month of February:

Chinese New Year Parade, Sunday, February 10

Chicago 2016 celebrated the Chinese New Year with a float in the annual parade in Chinatown. Olympians Tony Brooks (Rowing, 1972 and 1976) and Diane Simpson (Rhythmic gymnastics, 1988) along with Chicago 2016 staff members, their families and volunteers, braved the single-digit temperature to help usher in the “year of the pig.“

“Real Men Read,“ Thursday, February 21

Representatives from Chicago 2016 participated in “Real Men Read,“ a Chicago Public Schools program to promote reading among young students and foster a desire to read more frequently. This month’s reading selection, Freedom on the Menu, by Carole Boston Weatherford, looks at segregation, the civil rights movement and the Greensboro, North Carolina, sit-ins through the eyes of a young girl. A discussion after the reading selection explored how segregation affected everyday life and the ways people responded to injustice.

Annual “Souls of Black Folk“ Oratory Contest, Saturday, February 23

The contest, sponsored by the Sixth Ward’s Education Committee, took place at John Marshall Harlan High School (9652 S. Michigan Avenue). The contest educates young children about African American history and helps them build their self-esteem and strengthen their public-speaking skills. Students memorize and recite an original poem or short story or a published piece. Participation was open to students from kindergarten through 12th grade who reside in or attend schools in the Sixth Ward.

For information on Chicago 2016’s community outreach, or visit the Community Corner for a full listing of upcoming events.

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Setting world records is becoming a way of life for Jessica Galli, who was recently named the 2007 USOC Paralympian of the Year. The 24-year-old, two-time Paralympian set world records several times last year and is looking ahead to Beijing.

“Setting the world record in the 200, 400 and 800 meters was beyond my wildest expectations,“ said the current University of Illinois graduate student and Hillsborough, New Jersey, native. “The first time I set the 400-meter record was at the [European Wheelchair Championships]. I decided I would just race the hardest I could and focus only on my lane. Apparently, that strategy worked; my time was 55.81 seconds.“

Galli set the world record again in the event a couple of weeks later and added two records in the 200 and 800 at the “Meet in the Heat“ in Atlanta. In Beijing Galli hopes to add to her silver medal from the 2000 Paralympic Games and two fourth-place finishes at Athens in 2004. “Certainly, my past finishes in Sydney and Athens serve as motivators because though I do have one medal, I am aiming for more in Beijing,“ she said.

Galli has the ability to do it. In 2006, Galli won two golds, a silver and a bronze in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships and was the recipient of the Track & Field Athlete of the Year Award presented by the USA Track & Field Committee on Athletics for the Disabled. And last year, she was women’s wheelchair bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter exhibition race held at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Athletics World Championships in Osaka, Japan, as well as the recipient of the Nationwide Achievement Award for Female Athletics at the Visa Paralympic World Cup held in Manchester, Great Britain.

Galli started out as a gymnast but began adaptive sports soon after she was paralyzed in a car accident in September 1991. Part of her rehabilitation included a junior sports program that led to track and swimming in high school as well as wheelchair track at the University of Illinois, where she received her BS in kinesiology. Now she is studying for her master's in community health–health policy and administration.

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A four-person delegation from the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee traveled to Barbados the week of January 21 to attend the Legacy Lives 2008 conference. Legacy Lives is regarded as one of the most important international events focused on the practice of sports legacy planning, and it brings together nearly 150 people involved in the Olympic Movement to share knowledge and develop the skills required for the bidding, selection, planning, staging and evaluation of major events.

The purpose of the visit was to gather event rights holders, organizing committees, Applicant Cities and international federations to discuss the main legacy themes of sport, social and cultural programs, economic impact, regeneration, environment and tourism. The forum served to educate attendees on the importance of legacy planning and the sustainable benefits that can and should be an integral part of holding major events.

“To leave a lasting legacy is what every Olympic Games Host City strives for, and Chicago 2016 has a clear vision of the legacy we wish to leave for the city, the nation, the world and the Olympic Movement,“ said Mark Mitten. “We are very grateful for the opportunities this informative forum provided, as we were able to meet with many experienced groups who have built an Olympic legacy in their own cities.“

Legacy Lives 2008 featured presentations, interactive workshops and sessions, time for informal networking and an exhibition of leading organizing committees. The conference also examined the long-term, profile-raising benefits of the event-bidding process for cities and countries.

The visit took place less than two weeks after Chicago 2016’s Applicant File was submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), an important milestone in the bidding process.

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Paul Hamm is back on top in the all-around in men’s gymnastics. The defending Olympic champion won February’s Winter Challenge Cup held in Las Vegas with a two-day total of 185.85 points. He also added victories in the floor exercise and parallel bars.

“After the Visa Championships, I have been training very hard,“ said Hamm, who won the floor title at the nationals last summer after taking time off to complete his education. “It has been extremely difficult to get back into competitive shape following a two-and-a-half-year break from the sport. Right now I feel good, my routines are looking strong and I am confident.“

In Athens in 2004, Hamm, 25, became the first U.S. male athlete to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics. He added a silver medal on the high bar and led, along with his training partner and twin brother, Morgan, the U.S. men’s team to the silver medal.

Hamm and his brother (natives of Waukesha, Wisconsin) made history in 2000 as the first twins to compete in the same Olympic Games in gymnastics. The duo moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 2003 to train for the Athens Games. The move paid off as Paul Hamm became the first U.S. male gymnast to win the all-around at the world championships, helped the U.S. men’s team place second and shared the gold medal in the floor exercise. Now an injury to Morgan has forced the two to take different career paths.

“Morgan has trained with me my entire life,“ Hamm said. “We both made the decision to come back for another Olympic run. Unfortunately, Morgan tore his pectoralis major. He had surgery and is doing his best to get back into competitive form. It is [our] goal to make this Olympic team, and we are going to do everything we can to get that accomplished.“

Hamm graduated from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business in June 2007, earning an accounting degree with a 3.9 overall GPA. He was named magna cum laude, as was his brother, who majored in exercise science. Now Paul is preparing to go to business school—maybe even in Chicago.

Right now, however, Hamm is hoping to repeat as Olympic champ. “My game plan for Beijing is very similar to the plan I had going into Athens,“ he said. “I intend to make a trip to Europe during the spring and also compete at the U.S. Championships and Olympic trials. I intend to be on top of my game to guarantee my spot on the six-man team that will go to Beijing. Then I will design a training plan to peak in Beijing, giving me the best chance to bring home Olympic medals for the United States.“

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2008 Elite Wheelchair Racing Camp

The Midwest will be well represented at the upcoming 2008 Elite Wheelchair Racing Camp in Warm Springs, Georgia. The event, which runs from March 30 through April 9, will play host to many of the world’s top wheelchair racers. Adam Bleakney, Paralympian and University of Illinois wheelchair track coach, will be bringing a team of athletes to train and learn with some of the best from around the world. Rick Reelie (Canadian Paralympian and coach) and the legendary Tanni Grey-Thompson (UK Paralympian and coach) will also be bringing teams to prepare for the top-notch competition expected in Beijing this summer.

U.S. Paralympians Scot Hollonbeck and Jacob Heilveil, along with leading sports psychologists, nutritionists and medical professionals, will be on hand to share their tips for success. If athletes want to get in some competition before the camp, they can take part in the Champions Meet (the first of the World Series wheelchair track events) on March 28. Details are available at www.wcracing.net or by e-mailing coach@wcracing.net.

Paralympic Ambassador Program

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recently launched a Paralympic Ambassador Program. The program is aimed at creating a roster of past and present Paralympians to act as role models for people with and without disabilities and to raise the profile of the Paralympic movement. To date, 11 Paralympians from around the world have been chosen, including 3 from the United States—Cheri Blauwet, athletics; Muffy Davis, alpine skiing; and Chris Waddell, athletics and alpine skiing.

News and Updates

Local Paralympian Hope Lewellen (Palos Park, Illinois) might have another chance to go for the gold, because the U.S. women’s sitting volleyball team qualified to compete in Beijing this year. The U.S. women took the bronze in Athens in 2004 and, with six veterans returning, are looking to improve on that finish. The final team selection will take place in April following a training camp in Chicago March 16–21.

The North American Cup in Rosemont on March 7–10 will bring the top wheelchair fencers to Chicago. Look for local Paralympian Ella Chafee (fencing, 1996) to be on hand cheering on the competition.

Paralympic cyclist Greta Neimanas, a Chicago native, is prominently featured in the USOC’s new education campaign, “Respect.“ Neimanas is one of a handful of athletes featured in print and video materials promoting the campaign.

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