Obama FTW! Part Two

By Kevin Robinson in News on May 20, 2009 7:30PM

Aside from American President Barack Obama showing up in Copenhagen, shaking some hands and and mugging for the committee, another IOC member is now saying that the U.S. will have to come through with some cash and guarantees to secure the summer games for Chicago in 2016. Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Spain's IOC member, told South Africa's Mail and Guardian Online that Obama will have to have some skin in the game.

"Let's see what Obama says. If he comes and says: 'I, as president of the United States, will make the federal government, with all the power and strength of the United States, guarantee that everything will be in place and that the athletes will be fine', well ...," said a resigned Samaranch.

However, he warned that things will not be easy in the race to host the 2016 Games.

"Let us not kid ourselves," he said. "[Tony] Blair and [Vladimir] Putin, who are the examples people are using, came, said hello, had a photo taken ... but they sent messages that were brutal."

"Blair said: 'We are going to finance this, my government is providing the financial guarantees, I am going to nominate an Olympic Affairs minister, and the British government guarantees that these Games are going to be a success'," Samaranch explained.

"Putin said all that and much more: 'I am going to provide $20-billion to finance infrastructure, and my deputy prime minister is going to be responsible for everything to do with the Games'."

Samaranch went on to explain that private financing alone might not be enough to host the games in Chicago. "If [Obama] on the other hand says: 'Chicago is my home, it's wonderful, I love it, but I will not contribute a dime for this and it will be financed privately,' then that's something else," he said.