A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Chicago may try to involve Olympian Michael Phelps when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation team visits the city to assess Chicago’s bid and in its final presentation to the IOC.
Phelps had a private reception Wednesday with about 20 members of Chicago 2016 and told them he looks forward to seeing an Olympic Games held on the city’s lakefront.
Patrick Ryan, CEO of Chicago 2016, was there and said he’s already brought back some ideas to improve Chicago’s bid “playing up the centre city even more than we’d been thinking of doing”.
Chicago Business News reports the city has already won praise for a plan that would have many of the events in a compact area along the city’s lakefront near downtown.
Ryan also plans to get the public more involved in the Games if they come to Chicago. According to Chicago Business News he envisions thousands of people watching the action on large video screens outside of venues, in addition to the crowds inside. He said, “we could have thousands line the lakeshore for rowing”.