Thaindian News

Copenhagen, Oct 2 (DPA) US President Barack Obama was part of the team as Chicago opened the final countdown for the selection of the 2016 Olympics that got underway Friday.
Obama arrived in Denmark shortly before the presentation and was set to leave again later in the day, before International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge was to announce the winner of the IOC ballot at 1630 GMT.

The other candidates are Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo.

Two IOC members were not in Copenhagen. Alpha Ibrahim Diallo of Guinea did not make it, reportedly due to the unrest in his country. Sako Koivu of Finland is absent because he is playing an NHL Game.

As a result, only 103 IOC members are present and 95 voting in the first round of the ballot set for later Friday.

Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo are bidding to host the 2016 Games. The seven IOC members from the four countries are not allowed to vote in the opening round, but seven of them are not allowed to cast their ballot, South Korean Kun Hee Lee is suspended from the IOC and IOC boss Jacques Rogge does not vote.

President Obama arrived in the Danish capital for a whirlwind visit and was due to address the International Olympic Committee.

First Lady Michelle Obama, who hails from Chicago, arrived Wednesday to also lobby for her hometown.

The secret vote was expected to be close although Rio de Janeiro and Chicago were believed to be the leading contenders.

In addition to his speech before the committee, the president was due to meet Queen Margrethe and Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen before leaving Denmark.

Obama is the third US president to visit Denmark in the past 12 years after trips in 1997 by Bill Clinton and 2007 by George W Bush.

To cope with security, police officers from other parts of Denmark have been deployed in Copenhagen.

Residents have been warned to expect traffic jams because of the presidential motorcade.