CHICAGO - Four days after a heat-plagued Chicago Marathon that saw one death and hundreds sickened, a debate swirled on Wednesday about whether the debacle bruised the city's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
United States Olympic Committee President Peter Ueberroth speaks to members of the local media in Chicago, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007, to discuss Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. With two years before the International Olympic Committee awards the games, Ueberroth said Chicago is third or fourth in the list of favorites. [Agencies] |
The fact that spectators and business owners jumped in with garden hoses and bags of ice up and down the course to help complete strangers demonstrates "engaged spectators -- the kind that the International Olympic Committee should want cheering and filling seats at its 2016 Summer Games," the Chicago Sun-Times said in a Wednesday editorial.
"While marathon organizers proved how formidable a foe Chicago weather can be, our residents reflected the reserves of our character and community spirit that help make Chicago great -- and most deserving of that Olympic bid," it added.
But one Chicago Tribune columnist earlier in the week called Sunday's event "calamitous," and both race organizers and city officials have been peppered with questions since about its impact on the Olympics bid.
The race, which drew more than 35,000 entrants, was halted after 3 !/2 hours with unseasonal temperatures as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1C) and runners complaining about a lack of water.
Kenyan Patrick Ivuti won the event in a tight two-man race with Jaouad Gharib of Morocco, finishing first at two hours, 11 minutes and 11 seconds.
A 35-year-old police officer from Michigan died during the race. Published reports have said an autopsy found he did not die because of the heat and that a heart-related problem might have led to his collapse.
More than 300 runners received medical assistance on Sunday and at least 40 were hospitalized.
Race organizers said they did all they could to help the runners and that part of the water problem was caused by participants pouring it on their skin to keep cool instead of drinking it.
Mayor Richard Daley said the problems encountered during the marathon will have "no effect on the 2016 Olympics" and called it an "unfortunate incident."
Tokyo, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Prague and Qatari capital Doha have also bid for the games, with the host city to be decided in 2009.
Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said last week that Chicago is probably in third or fourth place as far as its chances go, behind Rio, Madrid and Tokyo.
