rawad_m Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 RIO de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games with red-hot favourite Chicago - backed by US President Barack Obama - eliminated early. The International Olympic Committee announced its decision overnight, with Rio becoming the first South American city to stage the Olympics after seeing off Madrid in the final round of voting. The outcome followed a tense final day of lobbying of IOC members. "It's unbelievable, overwhelming, spectacular," beamed Rio Governor Sergio Cabral after his city won the final round of voting by 66-32. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva - whose country will also stage the 2014 football World Cup and who gave a stunning speech at Friday's presentation - said history had been made. "Today Rio and Brazil presented their case to the IOC and they said an overwhelming 'yes'. It's an historic day in the life of Brazil," he said. "I'm 63 and have seen many things in my life and thought I could never get emotional but suddenly I'm crying more than any other person. "You have to understand we come from a country that was colonised and so we have a habit of thinking small with the feeling that we didn't matter. "So, when Danish television had all these images of Mr Obama arriving at Copenhagen airport this morning, people said to me: 'Oh, he's arrived, we're going to lose'." Chicago was sensationally eliminated in the very first round of voting after garnering a paltry 18 votes out of 94. It was quickly followed in the second stage by Tokyo, the only city of the four candidates to have previously hosted the Games. Chicago's defeat came despite the intervention of Mr Obama, who had flown in on Friday morning to appear at the city's final presentation. But, even his powerful presence - as well as the energetic lobbying of his wife Michelle - failed to sway the members. "We fought a good fight and I am very proud of the team and the campaign," said Chicago bid chief Pat Ryan. "Some you win, some you lose. That's the way it goes. "I have no idea why we went out so early. The IOC members will have to ask themselves that question." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters aboard Air Force One as Mr Obama returned home: "The president is disappointed as you might imagine." In Rio, tens of thousands of people partied on the iconic beach of Copacabana when IOC president Jacques Rogge revealed the winner. Brazil football legend Pele was in tears. "I'm a very emotional guy and I have been crying ever since I heard the result. This is a great moment not only for Brazil but for South America. In terms of how it compares to a World Cup this is like another goal," he said. Henrique Meirelles, president of the Brazil Central Bank, said that they had managed to convince the IOC that they were sound financially. "We were optimistic and very well prepared. This has been a lot of hard work but there is a lot more of that over the next seven years. Our economic situation played well." In Washington, a top White House advisor rejected the notion that Chicago's failure represented a personal humiliation for Mr Obama. "Obviously, it was disappointing," the President's senior political advisor David Axelrod told CNN. "The President made a very strong appeal, and it didn't work out. "I don't view this as a repudiation of the President or the First Lady - there are politics everywhere and there (was) politics inside that room." Madrid bid chief Mercedes Coghen, captain of the Spain field hockey team that won gold in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, accepted a painful defeat. "I have a very sad reaction," said the 47-year-old. "That's the way it has got to be. It was a very good bid." For Madrid, the presence of 89-year-old former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch helped secure vital votes. His plea that 'his days on earth were numbered' struck a chord for many of the members who owed their positions to him during his controversial but highly successful tenure. The elimination of Chicago and Tokyo set up an intriguing head-to-head between two of the giants of sports administration - Mr Samaranch and former FIFA President Joao Havelange, who - looking far younger than his 93 years - promised to invite people to a massive party in Rio in 2016 when he will be 100. Meanwhile, Associated Press reporter Julie Pace, filing from onboard Air Force One, reported that President Obama's chief spokesman said Mr Obama was disappointed that Chicago missed getting the 2016 Olympic Games but did not regret putting so much on the line to argue for it, Friday. Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One as President Obama and his wife Michelle flew back to Washington, Robert Gibbs said Mr Obama felt "obviously proud of his wife for the presentation that she made". Mrs Obama had gone to Copenhagen ahead of her husband and had lobbied hard for the Summer Games to be brought to her hometown and his adopted hometown. Mr Gibbs said the president "would never shy away from travelling anywhere, talking to anyone about this country", confirming that President Obama got the news of the decision while watching TV alone in his quarters on the presidential jet. Chicago's early exit from finalist balloting represented a personal setback for Mr Obama and a painful defeat for Chicago, America's most prominent Midwestern city. Many people had assumed Chicago would be a finalist. But International Olympic Committee members eliminated it only hours after Mr Obama and his wife urged them to send the Summer Games there. Mr Obama had put his personal prestige on the line and his political capital at risk when he decided late in the competition to go to Copenhagen and make a personal appeal. In making his pitch, President Obama had said that a nation shaped by the people of the world "wants a chance to inspire it once more". Never before had a US president made such an in-person appeal, and Mr Obama's critics will doubtlessly see the vote as a sign of his political shortcomings. The President's whirlwind trip put him in the Danish capital for less than five hours on Friday, with Chicago-backers hoping that would be sufficient to give his adopted home town the advantage it needed to win the close, four-way race to become the host city of the 2016 Summer Games. - Additional reporting AP How the voting unfolded How the voting progressed in the race to host the 2016 Olympic Games, which was won by Rio de Janeiro: 1st round Madrid - 28 Rio - 26 Tokyo - 22 Chicago 18 - eliminated 2nd round Rio - 46 Madrid - 29 Tokyo 20 - eliminated Abstention - 1 3rd round Rio - 66 Madrid - 32 Abstention - 1 http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26159205-10389,00.html interesting choice for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted October 2, 2009 Report Share Posted October 2, 2009 Good for them!!! I hope they can really make it Big! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ale Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Congratz to Rio, but I can't say I'm happy. I'm sure Sandy will agree with me. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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