Olympian Mike Conley Excited for Chicago Bid

When Mike Conley was asked to be part of the team trying to secure the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago, it didn’t take long for him to make a decision.

How long?

Try three seconds.

“Oh yeah, it was a no-brainer,” said Conley, who captured an Olympic gold medal in the triple jump at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. “I love the city of Chicago. I was born there. I have so many friends there.

“I was honored to be part of the committee to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Chicago,’’ he added.

Over the past year, Conley has been passionate about spreading the word about everything Chicago has to offer. He is president of World Sport Chicago, an organization devoted to bringing international and Olympic-style sporting events to the Windy City. World Sport Chicago has partnered with various groups --- the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Public Schools among them --- to establish youth programs in sports from badminton to wrestling to swimming and recently formed a Paralympic Center for Excellence to help athletes with disabilities.

As president of World Sport Chicago, Conley has traveled twice to Africa and Switzerland in addition to making trips to Germany, Japan and China. The goal is to share what the city and the committee for the 2016 Chicago bid have created. This bid is about Chicago and the 2016 Games but also about creating a sports legacy.

The International Olympic Committee will vote on October 2 to determine the 2016 host city in Copenhagen, Denmark. Chicago is one of the four finalists and is in a tough race with Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

“I wanted to get the word out immediately,” said Conley, a three-time Olympian. “Going to other countries and explaining how Chicago can be a great host has been a challenge, but it’s going well. There have been some initial questions. Once I explain the infrastructure and the dynamics of the city, people have responded very, very well to me.”

In addition to Conley’s help, a big push has come from 50 short videos promoting Chicago. The likes of actors Jeremy Piven and George Lopez, tennis star Andy Roddick, and late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon have made appearances on videos in support of the bid. Michael Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls star and NBA icon, has also appeared in a video promoting the city.

“It’s a total group effort,” Conley said. “We need everyone in this together promoting this bid. The hotel space is there. The infrastructure, as I said, is there. The passion of the city is there. I think it would be fantastic for Chicago to host the Olympics. Being a former Olympic athlete, I would have felt so comfortable competing in Chicago. Even though I’m from there, it would have been a great experience. I know the city would do a great, great job.”

If anyone knows what it is like to compete in the Olympic Games, it’s Conley.

An Olympic gold medalist in 1992, Conley also earned a silver medal in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and was fourth in the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

His memories from Barcelona, of course, stand out as the most memorable.

“At the award ceremony after I won my gold medal, I’m standing there waiting for my medal and the national anthem is about to play,” Conley said. “It was just an unbelievable feeling. Everything I had worked for athletically my entire life had resulted in a gold medal. It was so exciting.

“Everything had come full circle for me. It was almost an indescribable feeling. With the drive I had to work like I did, and then see it result in a gold medal at the Olympics was amazing.”

Now 46, Conley is still regarded as one of the best triple jumpers of all time. He was a six-time USA outdoor triple jump champion. In addition, Conley was the NCAA indoor and outdoor long and triple jump champion in 1984 and 1985 as well as the NCAA indoor triple jump champion in 1983, 1984 and 1985.

It was during those college years at the University of Arkansas when Conley realized his potential.

“I knew if I kept at it, I could accomplish anything,” Conley said. “I wanted an Olympic gold medal so badly. It took awhile. I won silver in Los Angeles in 1984 at the age of 21. I had to wait eight more years for a variety of reasons to earn that gold. When I won that gold medal, it was almost like a surreal experience.

“Unless you experience it and put your body through all the training, you can’t really understand it. Getting rewarded with a gold medal made everything worth it. I’ll have that experience for the rest of my life.”

He’s asked by people all the time for advice and his answer is simple.

“Keep working at it and never give up,” said Conley, who graduated from Luther South High School in Chicago in 1981. “Don’t give up on your dreams. Give it everything you have. I can tell people that because that’s what I did. It was never easy. I think that’s why it was more fulfilling in the end.”

Now his focus is on winning another Olympic race. It would be fulfilling for Conley to see Chicago host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. And Conley is going to continue to promote the bid until the IOC vote.

Working on this project isn’t a whole lot different than competing as an athlete. The gold medal would be seeing Chicago win.

“It’s a fabulous city,” said Conley, who was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004. “I can just picture the Opening Ceremonies there. The vision is amazing. I think the athletes, fans, support group … everyone would be rewarded with an incredible Olympic Games. It would be a huge accomplishment and one I’m proud to be a part of.”

No matter what transpires in Copenhagen, Conley knows he tried everything to bring the Games to Chicago.

“I think it will be great if given a chance,” Conley said. “I hope we get it. Just traveling around the world and promoting the city that I love so much and that is very dear to me is worth it. Let’s see what happens. I’m very, very hopeful.”

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Andy Jasner is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.