Sports Digest

US will bid to host the 2016 Olympic GamesThe US will bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games in either Los Angeles or Chicago. US Olympic Committee (USOC) chairman Peter Ueberroth said yesterday he began evaluating 18 months ago "whether or not a US bid for the 2016 Games could be competitive internationally."

"Based on our analysis, we believe the time is right for a US city to bid, and we fully intend to proceed with a unified, national effort to bring the Games back to America in 2016."

Ueberroth said Los Angeles and Chicago would make their pitches to host the Games over the next three months and the USOC would announce on April 14th which city it would put forward. "We're excited the United States is going for it," said Patrick Ryan, chairman of Chicago 2016. "After what would be a 20-year absence, it would be great for the Olympic Games to return to the US, and it would be an honour to host them here in Chicago.

"Hopefully, the strength of our plans gave USOC confidence that the United States could win on the international level."

The deadline for the USOC to nominate the city that will bid for the Games to the International Olympic Committee is September 15th, 2007. The winning city will be announced by the IOC in October 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Italy, India, Japan, Brazil, Spain and Azerbaijan have also expressed an interest in staging the 2016 Olympics.

Villeneuve dreams on

MOTOR SPORT:Jacques Villeneuve's dream of winning all four of motor racing's major titles should move a step closer to reality today. Peugeot are due to confirm that Villeneuve will form part of their six-driver line-up for this year's Le Mans 24 Hours race.

Three-times Champ Car champion Sebastian Bourdais and current Ferrari test driver Marc Gene are also set to be named. Villeneuve is one of only three drivers - Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi the others - to win the Indianapolis 500, the Champ Car series and a Formula One world title.

The 35-year-old Canadian has long had his sights set on a Le Mans victory to become the first racer to win the quartet of honours.

Award for Obikwelu

ATHLETICS:Olympic 100 metres silver-medallist Francis Obikwelu has been named the European Athlete of the Year for 2006. The 28-year-old Portuguese athlete won the 100m and 200m sprint double at the European Championships in Gothenburg last summer, setting a competition record for the former after dipping under the 10-second barrier despite a lack of real competition.

The European record holder said: "The award means the world to me and I am really honoured to have won it. I've had a really good season in 2006 and this just tops it off."

Obikwelu took the award ahead of reigning title holder and European discus champion Virgilijus Alekna and javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen.