Springs celebrates Olympic Day

In Colorado Springs, three Olympic gold medalists relived their crowning achievements. Chicagoans played beach volleyball and badminton to rally support for an Olympic bid. Rowers hit the water in Philadelphia and runners pounded the pavement in Honolulu.

Celebrations were staged Tuesday in 150-plus cities across 43 states for Olympic Day, honoring the 115th anniversary of the first International Olympic Committee meeting, convened by Pierre de Coubertin in Paris in 1894, and the recreation of the Olympics.

About 200 people, mostly U.S. Olympic Committee employees, national governing body staffers and local athletes, attended a private reception at the Olympic Training Center to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Speakers were George DiCarlo, the state's first Olympic gold medalist swimmer; Teresa Edwards, the only American basketball player to compete in five Olympics; and Edwin Moses, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles.

Mayor Lionel Rivera read a proclamation declaring Olympic Day in Colorado Springs, then spoke about a restructured agreement to keep the USOC's headquarters in town, saying the city is "working on that, and we can commit to you we're going to do everything we can to get that done."

Moses said Olympic Day "promotes Olympism and all the things Olympic athletes stand for. Once an Olympian, always an Olympian."

The IOC, with 205 national Olympic committees, first sanctioned Olympic Day activities in nine countries in 1948. The tradition gained steam in the late 1980s, and since McDonald's became a sponsor in 2003, it has expanded to 160-plus countries.

An estimated 30,000 participants in Chicago and an Olympic Day endorsement from the U.S. Conference of Mayors gives punch in the city's push for the 2016 Olympics. Chicago is a strong contender against Madrid, Spain; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Tokyo, with the IOC scheduled to pick the 2016 host in October.

A USOC community celebration, doubling as a seven-month countdown to the 2010 Vancouver Games, will be held July 11 at the OTC. The event is expected to include autograph signings, sport demonstrations and giveaways.

"It's giving back to the community that's so important," USOC acting chief executive officer Stephanie Streeter said. "We want to demonstrate that we're good public citizens and have people out here to enjoy the atmosphere and what we do on a daily basis."