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IOC Olympic Evaluation Commission Wraps Up in Chicago IOC Evaluation Commission Calls Chicago’s Games Bid ‘Strong’ - Members Appears at Departure News Conference - On Tuesday, April 7th, 2009, Members of the International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission made their first public comments in regards to Chicago’s 2016 Olympic bid. The chairwoman of the IOC’s evaluation commission said members were “most impressed” by what Chicago could offer the Olympics. According to the Chicago 2016 venue plan, 72 percent of the sports would be located in facilities that are largely completed. The location of the Olympic Village puts 90 percent of the athletes within 15 minutes of their competition venues. Situated on the lakefront, the Village is a short distance away from the Olympic live sites, celebration centers and the heart of Chicago’s downtown area. Questions were addressed about Chicago’s lack of blanket guarantee to cover the cost of the games, IOC Officials said all of the bid cities are facing economic difficulties in the current recession. The city of Chicago had opened its arms to members of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission in an effort to win the honor of becoming the official host city for the 2016 Summer Games. The IOC evaluation delegates have been reviewing detailed written, video and oral presentations from the Chicago 2016 staff. The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission team headed to Tokyo, and then to the other two finalist cities; Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. The final decision as to which city will host the 2016 Olympics was made by a secret ballot of one hundred and fifteen (115) voting IOC members in October 2009. Chicago was the first stop on the IOC’s 2016 Summer Games Host City tour. In addition to the delegates reviewing numerous sports venues, they also visited cultural sites, local attractions, as well as met with local representatives, citizens and school kids. The Chicago 2016 effort has actually been three years in the making as organizers have been reaching out to students, citizens, business owners, and community leaders to make the games a reality in the “Windy City.”