The team of 13, led by Morocco's former Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion Nawal Nawal El Moutawakel and which also included Britain's Sir Craig Reedie, were ferried around the city as they were given a glimpse of how it would look if Chicago is picked to follow London 2012.

Chicago 2016 officials had tried to put on a show for their distinguished visitors and when they arrived at the McCormick Centre, North America's biggest convention centre which would stage 11 sports plus the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre, at the start of their tour they were met by a group of Native Americans performing a traditional dance, a troupe of Chinese dragon dancers who accompanied them up the escalators and a gymnastics display.

 

It was a similar story when they arrived at Washington Park, a short walk from where United States President Barack Obama lived when he was a local Senator, and a marching band was there to greet them, along with a giant rabbit who had been entertaining children waiting for the Evaluation Commission.

Washington Park would be the centre-piece of the Olympics, being home to the main stadium and the aquatics centre.

Tens of youngsters were lined-up holding the flags of all 205 countries eligible to compete in the Olympics to mark the position of where the two arenas would be built.

Although demonstrators opposed to the Games had threatened to set up a tent city of the homeless in Washington Park to coincide with the visit, no tents were visible from where the IOC members stood.

The biting cold and freezing rain also did not disrupt the visit, which also included a visit to Soldier Field, which would host the finals of the football tournaments; Jackson Park, proposed venue for the hockey; Olympic Island, which would stage the beach volleyball, canoe kayak and sailing; and the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls which would be the setting for basketball, gymnastics and handball.

 

At the Uniter Center they were met by a newly recorded video message from Michael Jordan, the world's best-known basketball player who won two Olympic gold medals.

 

He voiced his excitement and support for the city’s Olympic and Paralympic Games bid, thanking the guests for their consideration of Chicago, a city he “fell in love with 25 years ago.”

 

Jordan also said he wished he was able to be there in person.

 

He had a prior engagement as he was nominated to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame today. 

 

The Commission were also shown Michael Reese Hospital, which is located halfway between the McCormick Centre and Washington Park and would be the site of the Olympic Village.

Overall, 12 sites were visited during the day and Chicago officials are hopeful that the Commission will have been impressed by the compactness of their bid.

Access to the Evaluation Commission was tightly controlled and the media were kept at a distance from them throughout the day.

Darryl Seibel, the spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, said: “The significance of today is that it's an opportunity not only to present plans, but to show those plans and bring them to life.''
 

The Commission will resume their work tomorrow when they continue analysing Chicago's plans in a series of meetings with key officials from the bid.

 

But the highlight of the day is set to be a private dinner at the Art Institute of Chicago, where the guests will include Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire television presenter who is based in the city.

 

After finishing in Chicago on Tuesday, the IOC Evaluation Commission will travel to Tokyo between April 16-19, Rio de Janeiro April 29 to May 2 and Madrid May 5-8.

 

They will then compile their report, which is due to be published approximately a month before the full IOC Session votes on which city should host the Games in Copenhagen on October 2.