Why Chicago shouldn’t be disappointed it lost the Olympics
by Olutoye Adegboro

As I walked out of my trigonometry class on Friday, October 2, I felt confident and inspired. I glided through the hallways, making my way past fellow students, wearing the huge smile that had been on my face the entire morning. You see, that day was a special day. It was the day that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would vote on the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games.

I was so preoccupied with the idea of Chicago actually hosting the Olympics that when a student I passed in the hall told his friend “we didn’t get it,” the idea that he might be talking about the Olympics didn’t even cross my mind. It only became apparent to me when I entered the journalism room and was told, “We lost in the first round.”

My lunch period progressed with me still reeling from the shock. I sat glued to the computer screen waiting for news of the IOC’s final vote. I kept asking myself: “How this could happen? Wasn’t Chicago the frontrunner? Did we really lose this?” So when the breaking news banner on MSN announced that Rio had been chosen to host the 2016 games, I only had one response: “Thank you, Rio, and Congratulations.” No, this congratulatory statement was not sarcastic, but sincere.  

You might wonder why as an avid Chicago 2016 supporter I would be thanking and congratulating our rival, and the eventual winner of the 2016 games. Let us remember that although we compete with other cities to win the Olympics, the event that we were trying to win is an event that unites every nation and every person. Every four years, for two weeks, we forget our differences. Through friendly competition the people of this world become one. I’ve noticed that even when athletes are competing against each other in an event, gold, silver, and bronze medalists still manage to congratulate their opponents. I don’t see why this same principle can’t be applied to competing Olympics bid cities.

It’s also worth mentioning that this will be the first time a South American city will host the Summer Olympic Games, helping to spread the Olympics’ reach to other ends of the globe. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva put it best when he said, “It will not be just Brazil’s games but South America’s. It will serve to inspire the 180 million young people on the continent.” The statement above taken from BBC News should remind us that the Olympics aren’t meant to inspire any one city or a nation. While Lula did say the Olympics will inspire every person across South America, its grasp will reach greater distances. The fact that South America will become the fifth continent to host the Olympic Games should excite everyone across the world, excited by the prospect of new era where the Olympics will take on the richer and fuller meaning of “a global event.” It wasn’t too long ago that Chicago itself set the stage for one of the most defining moments in history. Last November in Grant Park, tens of thousands gathered to witness then President-elect Barack Obama make his first speech as the newly elected president of the United States. Though the scene was set in Chicago, it was one the entire world took part in; and while the 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio, it will be an event for the entire world to celebrate.

President Barack Obama spoke on Chicago's behalf in Copenhagen during the International Olympic Committee's vote. Though Chicago didn't get the Olympics, Chicagoans can still take pride in hosting Obama's election rally in November 2008, an event that was witnessed by millions across the globe. Photo courtesy of Amazon.com.

I am truly happy for Rio, and quite thankful. After editing an article by a fellow student journalist had written, I was surprised to learn the estimated price tag of the Olympics if it was to be held in Chicago: $4.8 billion, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. With the recession gripping the nation and the recent addition of furlough days to the city calendar, I’m starting to realize that we may not have been as financially ready as we thought we were. Yes, many will argue that the Olympics would have brought jobs to Chicago. But the thought of new taxes and exorbant price increases is a daunting one, especially since we are trying to recover from a national deficit and recession.

Rio’s win also reminded me of another reason why I wanted to thank the host of the 2016 Olympics. As I viewed more news and sports websites during the course of the day, I was moved by what I saw. Though some of the people who had come to Daley Plaza in hopes of hearing Chicago named as the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games left after news of Chicago’s loss, I noticed that a handful of people remained to hear the results and congratulate whatever city won. In an interview with ABC 7 news, one Daley Plaza spectator stated, “It was still a great experience and I will still watch the Olympics and love them.” I was even taken aback when I watched an ABC 7 news broadcast and noticed that many of the people who remained in Daley Plaza cheered when Rio was announced as the winner. You see, while Chicago may not have been chosen as the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games, we showed the world what a wonderful city we were. We chose to be happy for Rio instead of being bitter and angry over the results. We gained the support of the nation, and even had the president and first lady speak on our behalf. We even laughed at ourselves when we were being lampooned on the “Weekend Update” segment of “Saturday Night Live.”

So when I walk out of my trigonometry class on Friday mornings, occasionally thinking of what might have been in 2016, I find that I wear the same smile I wore on October 2 because I’ve realized that even though we didn’t win the Olympics, we’ve proven that we are not only a global city, but a friendly one too.