Obama uses personal touch as Chicago bids to woo IOC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to woo International Olympic Committee (IOC) members and is poised to make phone calls on his flight to Denmark to urge them to pick Chicago as host of the 2016 Summer Games.

After leaving Washington later on Thursday, Obama will prepare for his presentation to the IOC and push forward with a more personal lobbying effort, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

"Obviously he's going to make an appeal ... on behalf of all America to showcase America to the world in 2016," Gibbs told reporters at a news briefing when asked about Obama's trip to Copenhagen for Friday's IOC vote.

Gibbs said the U.S. president would also "likely continue to make calls to members that are going to vote" during his flight.

The White House announced earlier this week that Obama had decided to go to Denmark to support Chicago's bid.

Chicago 2016 organizers hope Obama will help sway IOC members to vote for the U.S. city in what is expected to be a close contest.

Obama will speak as part of the Chicago presentation on Friday morning, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to address an IOC session.

He will not spend much time in Denmark, arriving early on Friday before returning to Washington in the afternoon.

(Reporting by Deborah Charles, editing by Tony Jimenez)