by Desmond G. Palmer, posted on 10/2/2009
Rio de Janeiro (Rio), Brazil, was voted yesterday as the city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics Games. Rio, which will become the first South American city to host the Games, beat Madrid, 66-32, in the final vote among IOC (International Olympic Committee) members. Tokyo and Chicago were the other finalists and Chicago was the first to be eliminated.
In announcing the election of Rio as the host of the Games, IOC president Jacques Rogge said: "Rio de Janeiro presented the IOC with a very strong technical bid, built upon a vision of the Games being a celebration of the athletes and sport, as well as providing the opportunity for the city, region and country to deliver their broader long-term aspirations for the future. This call to 'live your passion' clearly struck a chord with my fellow members, and we now look forward to seeing Rio de Janeiro staging the first Olympic Games on the continent of South America."
During Rio’s presentation, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, noted that it was time to address this imbalance. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country," he said.
Despite the involvement of US President Barack Obama, who spoke during his country’s presentation on Friday, Chicago received the fewest votes in the first round of balloting, which knocked the Windy City out of the competition.