For those of you who’d been pulling for Chicago to win the 2016 Olympics host city bid, here’s one of the more interesting potential explanations why it didn’t make it past the first round:
US immigration control is a bitch.
Among the toughest questions posed to the Chicago bid team this week in Copenhagen was one that raised the issue of what kind of welcome foreigners would get from airport officials when they arrived in this country to attend the Games. Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering the United States can be “a rather harrowing experience.”
I have to say, he’s got a point. To be fair, it does depend on a number of things – i.e. what passport yr carrying, port of entry, the particular customs officer you draw, etc. And I would assume that the US Customs could theoretically set up some sort of fast track for athletes and their families.
But I’ve collected enough post-9/11 anecdotes in the last eight years to draw the conclusion that traveling to the US can be anywhere from a minor hassle to a truly intimidating experience for a lot of people. Which isn’t really in the Olympic spirit.
That said, I’ve never been to Rio. So I can’t say if Brazilian immigration is any friendlier. Beijing’s certainly isn’t – and they
actively restricted visas ahead of the 2008 Olympics.
So in the end, I’m sure the fact that South America has never hosted an Olympics event was a bigger factor overall. Plus, hey, it’s Rio.
They’ve got a beach there and everything.
Blame it on Rio,
This is dF
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EDITED TO ADD [10.4.09]: On the other hand, I
could be wrong. Not that I think Jacques Rogge watches all that much Fox News or even knows who Rush Limbaugh is. Still, I can also tell you that the "tea party" movement isn't exactly making America look like any friendlier a place to visit.
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