By Tom Degun

obama and_romneyNovember 4 - America's long-time International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Anita DeFrantz has claimed that the result of the 2012 United States Presidential Election between incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney will have no bearing a potential bid from the country for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Obama (pictured left) of the Democratic Party and Romney (pictured right) of the Republican Party are in the final stages of their Presidency campaigns with the election set to be held across the United States on Tuesday (November 6).

Both individuals have links to the Games as Obama attended the IOC Session in Copenhagen in 2009 to lobby for Chicago's 2016 bid, which they lost to Rio de Janeiro, while Romney served as President and chief executive of the successful Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympics - the last Games on American soil.

But regardless of who is elected, DeFrantz feels both would be supportive an American Olympic and Paralympic bid, which will almost certainly come for either 2024 or 2026 after 2022 was ruled out by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

Barack-Obama-Mitt-RomneyMitt Romney, left, is looking to dethrone Barack Obama, right as United States President

"It makes no difference who is elected really," DeFrantz told insidethegames.

"The key fact is that they are both Americans and they both care about the Olympic Movement.

"As Americans, it is part of our makeup to appreciate the world's best athletes representing their country which is obviously the core part of the Games.

"The USOC exists with each President of the United States.

"I remember that Los Angeles bid three times for the Olympics before we got it.

"The first time they bid was for the 1976 Games and President [Richard] Nixon signed the bid document.

"The second time was the 1980 Games and President [Gerald] Ford signed the documents and then in 1984, when Los Angeles won, President [Jimmy] Carter had signed it.

"So the White House has always understood of the work of the USOC and they have always been willing to make the commitment to be supportive of us and I know that will continue regardless of the result of this election.

"It is obviously nice to have a good friend in the White House but we have always had a good friend there and they will not change after this election."

Anita DeFrantzAnita DeFrantz has long been a prominent IOC member and USOC Board member

DeFrantz is currently part of a five-person bid working group set up by the USOC in August that is investigating whether America should put itself forward for the 2024 Summer Games or 2026 Winter Games.

The group are set to report to the full USOC Board at their quarterly meeting next month with their findings.

But DeFrantz, who has been an IOC member since 1986 and a former vice-president of the organisation, said that despite making progress, the group are still very much assessing the situation.

"I'm obviously part of the bid working group formed by the USOC and we are still looking at things," she said.

"When we decide on a bid alongside the full USOC Board, we will make that decision public and explain exactly how we got there.

"But we haven't got there yet."

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