September 06, 2007	Thursday	Sha'aban 23, 1428

CHICAGO, Sept 5: Now that Chicago officially is the US bid city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, it must convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) it deserves to stage the games.

The organisers were hopeful on Tuesday they could triumph over cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.

The US Olympic Committee formally submitted Chicago as its bid in a letter last week to the IOC President Jacques Rogge in advance of a Sept 13 deadline. It was a formality because the USOC has worked with Chicago on its bid since choosing the city over Los Angeles in April.

“We look forward to working with the IOC in convincing them why we believe Chicago is the best host city,” Mayor Richard Daley said while acknowledging tough competition from some of the “greatest cities in the world.”

The Czech capital of Prague also officially entered the race Tuesday for the games, but its mayor acknowledged the chances of winning were slim because another European city – London – is hosting the 2012 Olympics.—AP