Patrick Ryan was named chairman of the board Thursday of World Sport Chicago, the bid's legacy organization. The group is dedicated to increasing participation in Olympic sports among Chicago's children, and Ryan had promised that its efforts wouldn't end with last month's selection of the 2016 host city.
Chicago was eliminated in the first round of the International Olympic Committee vote in Copenhagen on Oct. 2. Rio de Janeiro also defeated Tokyo and Madrid to take the games to South America for the first time.
"We may not have won the honor of hosting the games in 2016, but we have positively impacted the lives of thousands of kids, and we look forward to expanding our programs in the months and years to come to reach even more youth," Ryan said. "I'm honored to take on this role and personally oversee the activities."
World Sport Chicago has already sponsored clinics and programs to introduce local children to archery, fencing, badminton, wrestling, swimming, track and field, and judo. It also has hosted several international events during Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games, including the world boxing championships and gymnastics' American Cup, and will hold the Chicago Cup wrestling tournament this weekend.
Bill Scherr, an Olympic bronze medalist in wrestling and the previous chairman of the board, will be the group's president. Olympic gold medalist Michael Conley, the previous president, remains on the board of directors.
