Come on Chicago!

It hardly seems conceiveable that it is fully four years ago now that Jacques Rogge said one word, 'London', which has already made such a huge difference to my life and our journey at Lane4.

Make no bones about it - I am crossing my fingers that Jacques Rogge's first word on openning the 2016 envelope is 'Chicago'. For two reasons. Firstly, on behalf of our North American business. Actually we share our office space in Princeton with US Rowing. I am certain our experience here to date will be a major source of value for us should Chicago win out.

Secondly - whether we like it nor not, the business and health of individual sports in the US drives the global sporting agenda. We now live in a world where golf is an Olympic sport, and it is critical for the less mainstream but in my view more truly Olympic sports that the US sports market continues to find a place for each of them. The Olympics is the pinnacle of achievement in sports like athletics, modern pentathlon, triathlon, track cycling and rowing. I was lucky enough to be in Beijing, and modern pentathlon held me captive more than I can ever imagine golf doing. I want the US public to feel the same in 2016 if the viability and health of the 'traditional' Olympic sports are going to be preserved in an increasingly homogenous sporting landscape.