Bryan Clay, the Beijing gold medalist in the decathlon, was one of the few active athletes in Copenhagen lobbying on behalf of Chicago for the 2016 Olympic Games. During Chicago's official bid presentation before the voting members of the International Olympic Committee, Clay and two-time U.S. Paralympian Linda Mastandrea spoke about the needs of Olympic athletes at the Games and how Chicago plans to address those requirements should it win the bid. Universal Sports has an exclusive copy of the text of his presentation.

Bryan Clay: Wow. What a great city. Chicago really has everything you could want for a fabulous Games experience. Good morning, I am Bryan Clay, the 2008 Olympic champion in the decathlon.

Linda Mastandrea: And I am Linda Mastandrea, 1996 Paralympic champion. In June we introduced you to Chicago's plan. Competition venues will be located in the heart of Chicago, and the Village will be the center of the Games. The beauty of the parks, the lake and the city skyline will provide a dramatic backdrop for competition and celebration sites throughout the city. Chicago's many existing venues and attractions were just the start. We know that we needed to make the experience of each group exceptional.

BC: Athletes were always the focus of Chicago's Games plan, something I can personally appreciate. As a decathlete, my competition day begins at 5 AM. I arrive at the stadium at 7 in the morning, and by the time competition, doping control and ice baths are finished, it's well passed midnight. So the location of the Village really does make a difference. We made sure Chicago's plan did what is right for every athlete.