Obama to travel to Denmark to lobby for Chicago's Olympic bid

President Obama will travel to Copenhagen late this week to lobby the International Olympic Committee on behalf of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games, the White House announced this morning.

The IOC meets Friday to award the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the finalists are Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid. Obama plans to leave Thursday for Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.

"President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will both make presentations to the IOC during Friday's session," the White House said in a statement. "They will discuss why Chicago is best to host the 2016 Summer Games, and how the United States is eager to bring the world together to celebrate the ideals of the Olympic movement."

The president -- a Chicago resident -- had initially decided to send Mrs. Obama solo, believing that health care negotiations with Congress would prohibit a presidential trip to the IOC meeting.

But the White House sent an advance team to Copenhagen last week, and Gibbs said the door remained open for an Obama visit.

Leaders from the competing countries are also expected to attend the IOC meeting, maintaining what is becoming a political Olympic trend.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair played a key role in landing the 2012 Olympics for London. So did Russian President Vladimir Putin when the IOC awarded the 2014 winter games to Sochi.

Obama promoted Chicago's bid during an Olympic event at the White House on Sept. 16, saying there is no better city for the games than his adopted hometown.

"It's a city of broad shoulders and big hearts and bold dreams," Obama said. "a city of legendary sports figures, legendary sports venues, and legendary sports fans. A city like America itself, where the world's races and religions and nationalities come together and reach for the dream that brought them here."

(Posted by David Jackson; photo by Larry Downing, Reuters)