Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced Friday. This is the first time the Olympic Games will be hosted in South America.
The announcement came as a disappointment to the Midwest, dashing hopes for increased tourism. A Chicago Olympics would have boosted the Chicago economy and greatly affected Wisconsin, as well.
If Chicago had won the Olympics, cycling competition were tentatively planned for Wisconsin, specifically the Madison area. Madison's reputation as a ""platinum cycling city"" made it an ideal racing location, according to a statement from Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
According to Jason Carr, president of the UW-Madison Cycling Club, the bike races would have brought a lot of attention to Madison cycling.
""It would have greatly expanded the growth to the sport,"" Carr said.
Carr said the tentative routes may be used for other national and statewide races.
""The courses are still going to be used for other reasons and to showcase Madison as a cycle-friendly city,"" he said.
According to Lee Holloway, chairman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, the Olympic Games would have brought $22.5 billion in revenue to the Midwest.
The Olympics would have brought an economic boost to the Wisconsin area, as well as help the state advance its bid for federal funds for a commuter high-speed rail line.
""By securing dedicated funding for our bus system, along with strengthened connections to Chicago via the proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail line, we can position ourselves for other opportunities that may come in the future,"" Holloway said in a statement.
