On the Scene in Copenhagen: Mrs. Obama; Rio and Tokyo Presents Athletes

First Lady Arrives in Denmark

Michelle Obama is holding her first meetings with IOC members Wednesday afternoon in Copenhagen, just hours after arriving on a flight from Washington.

Mrs. Obama will meet with members today and on Thursday, pitching her hometown of Chicago for the 2016 Olympics.

Obama greeted bid chief Patrick Ryan and IOC members including Nicole Hoervertsz of Aruba and Jim Easton of the U.S. She also spoke to U.S. basketball star David Robinson and hurdler Edwin Moses.

This was mainly a photo op, as Obama stopped only briefly to talk to the throng of reporters shouting questions.

"We have a lot of work to do. We're not taking anything for granted," she said, backing away. "I'm going to go talk to some voters."

While the First Lady will be joined Friday by husband Barack Obama, he will not arrive in time to meet with IOC members face to face. That personal lobbying will fall to Mrs. Obama, say Chicago bid leaders.

Her presence in Copenhagen has already led to a tightening of security in the city, with streets closed-off for the caravan of a dozen plus vehicles and a squad of motorcycle police leading the way.

About 100 media were subject to inspection of their bags and equipment at the Marriott Hotel Wednesday afternoon where they waited for Mrs. Obama to arrive for her meetings with IOC members.

After the meetings, she will attend a party for Chicago 2016 supporters.

No Obama Worries for Tokyo 2016 Chief

As Tokyo 2016 paraded its Olympians and Paralympians at a news conference Wednesday, bid chief Ichiro Kono shrugged off suggestions that the presence of U.S. President Barack Obama in Copenhagen would hurt the Japanese campaign.

Asked directly if he was worried about the impact of Obama, Kono said the participating heads of state speaking for all four bid cities Friday was “proof that sport is very big”. In his response, he did not mention Obama by name.

“Our mood is excellent because we have the support of athletes and international supporters and we have just finished rehearsals,” Kono told reporters, insisting Tokyo could land the Games despite the fuss surrounding Obama and the increasing momentum behind the Rio de Janeiro bid.

“The mood is great. We are very much confident in making our presentation on October 2, and we have our new prime minister here,” Kono said.

Kono dodged a question about Tokyo’s strategy for lobbying IOC members over the coming 36 hours, saying “the most important thing is our presentation.”

“With the spirit and heart and soul of Japan, we can communicate to the IOC our passion,” he said.

Nine Olympians and Paralympians joined Kono on stage. But there was little fanfare and excitement to accompany their introduction – even for the unveiling of “surprise” guest Rosa Mota, the Portuguese runner who won gold in the Seoul 1988 marathon and is now a Tokyo 2016 supporter.

Perhaps signaling Tokyo’s lack of momentum ahead of the IOC vote, there were few questions directed at Kono from reporters. Only about 40 members of the media attended and no awkward questions came from any journalists from Chicago, Madrid or Rio as none attended the briefing.

But Tokyo’s athlete ambassadors – like Kono dressed in informal grey suits – did their best to talk up the city’s Olympic plans.

Mikako Kotani, chair of the bid’s athletes’ commission, said the Olympians and Paralympians present along with many other athletes back home had helped shape the Tokyo 2016 Olympic concept.

Yuko Arakida, vice chair of the commission and gold medalist in volleyball at the 1976 Olympics, sung the praises of Tokyo’s compact venue proposals. “Most of the venues are within an 8km radius…that is very important for athletes.”

Yasuhiro Yamashita, a judo gold medalist at the 1984 Games, said the Olympics was about stirring emotions and dreams. “As a six-year-old, the 1964 Games helped me to realize my dream,” he said.

Seven-time Olympian Seiko Hashimoto said: “The Japanese government is more motivated [about sport and the Olympics] than in the past and the prime minister is joining us for the presentation. The very best stage is set to offer the best to athletes coming from all over the world.”

Tokyo 2016 was unable to confirm when Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will arrive in Copenhagen but it is thought he will come in Thursday evening.

Masa Takaya, spokesman for the bid, says about 300 Tokyo 2016 supporters are now in the Danish capital to cheer the bid team to the finish line of the 2016 race.

Pele, Brazilian Athletes Press the Case Rio 2016

In Rio's formal press briefing Wednesday, Pele, the IOC athlete of the century, was asked about Michael Jordan, whom the reporter called "his equivalent," and the responsibility of an athlete of his stature when his country calls.

Jordan is not part of Chicago 2016's delegation, although he has made videos for the bid.

"If I have to die before my country, I will die for my country," said Pele, who initially called Jordan "Michael Jackson." "I feel comfortable and very happy if I can help my country. It's important you participate when your country needs you."

Rio 2016 confirmed that Isabel Swan, who won a bronze medal in sailing in Beijing, would be on the presentation team.

The Olympics in Brazil, Swan said, "will open the minds of children. They will say, 'I can get there.'"

Leonardo Gryner, Rio 2016 director of marketing and communications, fielded a question about a recent article in The New Yorker that discussed violence among drug gangs in Rio.

He said the IOC addressed the issue in the Evaluation Commission report.

"They recognized the efforts being made by the authorities in Brazil," he said, "changes happening now in the security system and policing that they are implementing now in Brazil."

Gryner added that the new policing system is part of the legacy of the Pan American Games and its security plans and that Rio has a history of staging great events, such as Carnivale.

Gryner also responded to a question in his main area: marketing. He smoothed over the IOC's concerns about splitting sponsorships between the 2014 World Cup and an Olympics two years later.

He said the Brazilian advertising market is a very competitive one, and if, for example, a bank sponsors the World Cup, another major bank would acquire the rights for the Olympic Games in that sponsorship category.

The Olympic bank, Gryner said, "will try to exploit fully the rights they have acquired" and not wait until after the World Cup is over.

Chicago Opposition Group in Copenhagen

No Games Chicago, the vocal volunteer group that opposes bringing the Games to the Windy City, has three representatives in Copenhagen.

They are Tom Tresser, Rhoda Whitehorse, and Martin Macias, Jr., the same trio who brought 100 copies of the "Book of Evidence" to Lausanne in June for the candidate cities briefing.

“We believe that hosting the Olympics is the wrong project for the wrong city at the wrong time," Tresser, the group's communications coordinator, said in a statement. "Eight-four percent of the people of Chicago agree with us. We're here to speak up for them."

Chicago 2016 CEO Patrick Ryan cited a different poll on Tuesday, saying that 72 percent of Chicagoans support the bid.

Media reports say 150 to 200 protesters attended a rally against the Chicago bid Tuesday at City Hall in Chicago.

Written by Ed Hula, Mark Bisson and Karen Rosen.