After three years of work and five million dollars in expenses, the group trying to bring the 2012 Olympics to San Francisco can’t do anything but sit and wait for today’s announcement. The US Olympic Committee will narrow the list of cities that will represent the nation down to two. They’re choosing from among San Francisco, New York, Washington DC and Houston. Tony Winnicker is communications director for the Palo Alto-based Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee. He says the group is upbeat about its chances to make the cut.

Most of the group’s staff are in Chicago, where the announcement will be made at 2 p.m. After today’s announcement the Olympic Committee will tour the two chosen cities and announce a final winner by November third. The chosen US city will face stiff competition from cities as diverse as Havana, London and Istanbul. The final decision will be made by 2005. Winnicker says San Francisco is the best choice because it has the cachet to compete against cities as exotic as Istanbul, Paris, Madrid and other world cultural centers competing for the 2012 Games.