The IOC President has had to broker two peace deals already this year with the USOC.
 
Firstly, over revenue sharing between the USOC and the IOC over the American body's share of Olympic revenues and then over Americans plans to launch a US Olympic television network which upset several influential IOC members.

Rogge said: “These entanglements will have no negative effect.

“Regarding the distribution of revenues between the International Federations and the IOC with the USOC, their President Larry Probst and I have brokered a deal in Denver earlier this year.

“As for the USOC’s idea of setting up an Olympic TV network.

"We expressed some surprise at that but then Larry Probst and I sat down in Berlin [during the athletics World Championships in August] and he agreed to put a hold on that.”

"These two things are out of the discussion now, so I don't except a negative aspect."

Chicago, for so long the front-runners in the race to follow London 2012 and host the 2016 Olympics, have slipped behind Rio de Janeiro recently.

They had hoped to receive a boost with the news that US President Barack Obama would travel to Copenhagen for the IOC Session to back their bid ahead of the vote on October 2.

But Obama (pictured) called Rogge last week to explain that he could not make it because he needed to stay in the US to oversee plans to pass new health care legislation.

Rogge said: “He [Obama] expressed very strong support for the Chicago bid and you know how charismatic he can be when he is in favour of something.

“However, he explained that in the current political climate, circumstances forbade him from coming to Copenhagen.

“But in his humorous manner he said he would be sending the best part of his couple [First Lady Michelle Obama] and she would be the best stand in for him."

It is widely believed that the decision of then Prime Minister Tony Blair to travel to Singapore for the IOC Session in 2005 helped London beat big favourites Paris to win the 2012 Olympics and that Vladimir Putin was crucial in the decision to award Sochi the 2014 Winter Olympics after he turned up at the 2007 Session in Guatemala City.

Rogge said: "While the IOC is honored by such appearances, they are absolutely not a requirement of the IOC."

Rogge predicted that the final presentations of the four candidate cities, who also include Madrid and Tokyo, could make the clinching factor.
 

He said:  "The last presentations could sway the decisions of one or two members.

"We will have to wait for the final presentations.
 

"I think the majority of members will vote on the fundamentals.

"Is it a good organisation, do we trust the people, are the venues okay, is the transportation OK?"


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