It's been an up-and-down week for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. First, the good news: Chicago came one step closer to hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics today when, as expected, it was announced as one of the four finalists to host the games, officially becoming a Candidate City and entering the international phase of the bidding process, along with Rio, Madrid, and Tokyo. [] Final, more detailed bids are due from the short-listed cities by February 12, 2009, with the final vote happening on October 2, 2009. In addition, Chicago can now add the Olympic rings to its logo, though we still prefer the original torch logo. A celebration is planned for Friday at 11:30 a.m. in Dayley Plaza. more ›