WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House voiced disappointment on Friday at Chicago's elimination from voting for the 2016 Olympics and denied it was a repudiation of U.S. President Barack Obama's lobbying on behalf of his adopted home town.
Senior adviser David Axelrod said Obama's appearance before the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen was not enough to overcome "politics inside that room" and other factors he believed weighed against Chicago's bid.
"Obviously it was disappointing," Axelrod, a former Chicago journalist, told CNN. "It didn't work out but it was worth the effort."
"I don't view this as a repudiation of the president or the first lady," he said.
Chicago had been considered a favorite to win the right to stage the 2016 Games after Obama put his international starpower on the line, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to address an IOC session.
(Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by John O'Callaghan)