Fans queue to snag tickets to see Oprah, Olympians

By noon, the line of Winfrey fans and U.S. Olympic supporters stretched nearly six city blocks in Chicago's Millennium Park. The show will air Sept. 9 and include appearances by gold medalists Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin and Kobe Bryant.

Tickets for the Winfrey's tapings are usually available only by phone and nearly impossible to get, so fans were itching for the 2,000 seats up for grabs for Wednesday's taping.

"We do love Oprah," said 20-year-old Loyola University student Grace Sutherland, who left her apartment at 4 a.m. to wait in line. "But the Olympic athletes, they are real role models. This is the America we like to see."

Jeanne Kaspar, 40, of Naperville, Ill., said that although the Olympians are inspiring, Winfrey's accomplishments will resonate long after the athletes' successes are forgotten.

"Oprah shattered the glass ceiling for women," Kaspar said. "She's shown a woman can run companies, can lead philanthropic organizations, can do really anything."