US President almost certainly set to visit the capital next week, but no official confirmation yet

The possibility of US President Barack Obama making an appearance in Copenhagen next week for the Olympic vote is perhaps more anticipated that the actual vote itself.

A source familiar with the plans for the International Olympic Committee meeting has told the Around the Rings website that Obama is planning to make an appearance.

The website is a noted source of information on the IOC and the insider said that the president would fly into town on Friday to support the Chicago bid before leaving Denmark again that same day.

His wife, Michelle Obama has already been confirmed as a representative of the Chicago bid and the White House said a security team had already been sent to Copenhagen to survey the area, should the president decided to come.

However, the White House administration has also stressed that no final decision has been made on a presidential visit.

Karl Christian Koch, the chairman of the Danish coordination group for the IOC meeting, said the president’s visit was still at the rumour stage.

‘We haven’t had any confirmation from the Foreign Ministry or The White House,’ Koch told Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

IOC President Jacques Rogge has already stressed that the presence of heads of state of countries bidding to host the 2016 Olympics is not a requirement, but with the president of Brazil and the Spanish king confirmed and the Japanese prime minister looking more likely, everyone is now waiting for Obama’s decision.