Madison will know whether it will become part of the Olympic tradition today after the International Olympic Committee selects the host city for the 2016 summer games.
If Chicago’s bid is selected, the city of Madison and its sur-rounding area would be the site of cycling and mountain biking events, as well as hosting athletes in a Wisconsin Olympic Village in the Lakeshore area.
According to the Olympics official website, the decision from the Inter-national Olympic Selection Committee in Copenhagen, Denmark, will be announ-ced at 11:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time.
The mayor’s office is anticipating an economic boost to the city if some of the Olympic events end up in Madison.
“We believe [Chicago’s selection as host city] would be an incredible boost to our community,” said Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. “Obviously, there would be some very significant economic impacts from the folks visiting.”
The cycling course, running through campus, factors significantly in the mayor’s office’s analysis of the Olympic games’ economic impact on the city.
Madison’s connection with Chicago’s bid is a terrific platform to spotlight Madison to the international world, Stephanie Sabo, spokesperson for the Greater Madison Con-vention and Visitor Bureau, said.
“It really validates the fact we are a biking and cycling destination,” Sabo said.
Strauch-Nelson said Madison already has a strong reputation as a great community for biking. With the cycling course running through Madison, it would attract people from all over with the allure of being able to bike an Olympian course.
Madison has another reason to watch the decision with great anticipation: Chicago being chosen as the host city would bolster the application for the high-speed rail lines connecting Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.
“We are in a very strong position in our position for high-speed rail,” Strauch-Nelson said. “We think this would make it a done deal.”
Chicago is one of four cities vying for the position of host city, along with Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, are currently lobbying in Copenhagen on behalf of Chicago.
