Chicago 2016 Olympics bid eliminated

CHICAGO — Thousands of people are standing in stunned silence in downtown Chicago after watching the International Olympic Committee choose someone else for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The vote in Copenhagen was carried on huge television screens in the Daley Center, set up to carry what many had hoped would be approval of Chicago to host the games.

Instead, Chicago was bounced in the first round of voting Friday, bringing an audible gasp heard from the crowd.

The city was eliminated so quickly that some of the would-be revelers weren't sure what had happened. Some started asking if they had heard what they thought they heard.

"I've never really had a disappointment like this," said Ken Rudd, a 33-year-old salesman from Evergreen Park. "This is one of the saddest things I've ever seen."

Many stood for a few minutes, staring at the screen, and at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TV screen.

Within seconds, people began filing out of the plaza.

Chicago was in a race with Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and Madrid for the 2016 games.