Jackie Joyner-Kersee to Tout Chicago 2016 at White House

The event comes on the heels of the White House announcing that Michelle Obama would travel to Copenhagen

By Andrew Greiner and BJ Lutz
|  Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009  |  Updated 6:19 PM CDT
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Jackie Joyner-Kersee to Tout Chicago 2016 at White House

AP Images

Jackie Joyner-Kersee receives bronze medal for women's Olympic long jump final in this 1996 photo.

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Olympic track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee will join the First Family on Wednesday at the White House to tout Chicago as the host of the 2016 Summer Games, White House officials said.

The three-time gold medal-winning Joyner-Kersee grew up in East St. Louis and will join Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and a host of former and current Olympians and Paralympians to talk up the Olympics in general and give a nudge to the Chicago push.

During the event, two groups of Olympic athletes will visit D.C.-area schools to talk about what makes the Olympics cool.

These school visits are part of Athlete Ambassador, a service program set up by Chicago 2016 and World Sport Chicago where Olympians' and Paralympians from across the country promote the values of the Olympic Movement by engaging youth in sport activities.

The event comes on the heels of the White House announcing that Michelle Obama would travel to Copenhagen with the 2016 delegation on October 2.

It’s still unclear if the president will attend the final vote, but his staff has been downplaying the possibility that he may attend.

Posted Sep 14, 2009
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