President and First Lady charm Copenhagen in push land their hometown as 2016 Olympic host

Barack Obama has come and gone. But while Danes are savouring the president’s brief five-hour stay in Copenhagen, the world’s attention remains on the ongoing International Olympic Committee’s deliberations taking place at the Bella Center venue.

Chicago’s bid team, headed by the Obamas, made their presentation first thing this morning. It was a presentation marked by a personal and heartfelt appeal from both the First Lady and her husband.

Michelle Obama, who has been meeting and greeting IOC members in Copenhagen this week ahead of tonight’s vote, told the assembly she was campaigning for Chicago for very personal reasons.

In an impassioned plea, Mrs Obama said she was not just here as the First Lady, Chicago native or even a mother, but also as a daughter. Describing how her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Obama said that her father was determined to show his children that sport was a significant lifeline to the world.

‘He refused to let us take our ability for granted and taught me how to throw a ball and a mean right hook better than any boy. But more importantly he taught me the rules of the game,’ Michelle Obama said before introducing her husband.

President Obama expressed his love for Chicago, thanking it for giving him his wife, but also a place to set down roots – like many other multicultural residents.

He promised that he and other Americans were ready to take on the 'sacred trust' of the Games and said it would give the opportunity to solve some of the world’s challenges.

‘In a world where we all to often witness the darkness of humanity, the peaceful nature of competition brings us together for a few weeks and helps us to understand each other a little bit better’.

The Obama factor cannot be ruled out as this Olympic vote has become all about the celebrity lobbyist. Each country has a head of state or government present, coupled with dozens of recognizable sport stars and influential citizens.

Compared to the Olympic vote held in Singapore in 2005, Tony Blair was the only government leader to attend and it is believed his lobbying swung the IOC vote to London, despite Paris being the clear favourite.

Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid will make their bids throughout the day, extolling the virtues of their cities before the 95 eligible IOC members begin to vote after 5pm this evening.

A city needs to secure a majority of the votes to be awarded the Games. There are likely to be three rounds of voting and once a city is knocked out of the running due to securing the least number of votes, the IOC members from that city’s country will be eligible to vote again.

The mood at the Bella Center was high after the Chicago presentation and the audience is eagerly awaiting the vote to see if the recent tit for tat negative criticisms from a Madrid delegate about Rio de Janeiro’s bid will have an outcome on results.