Obama has made his pitch to the International Olympic Committee for Chicago in 2016; Lula and Pelé have done likewise for Rio. Will their presence make a difference?
“Some of what the I.O.C. considers has nothing to do with the strength of the bids themselves,” said Frank Lavin, the former U.S. ambassador to Singapore, who worked on New York City’s failed bid to host the 2012 Games.
“A lot of it is political and that encompasses different levels: international politics, personalities, internal I.O.C. politics,” he said.
A decision in Copenhagen is expected to be announced around 12:30 p.m. ET.
