Rio de Janeiro was named host of the 2016 Olympic Games on Friday as red-hot favourite Chicago, backed by US President Barack Obama, was handed a devastating, heart-breaking snub.
Rio will be the first South American city to stage the Olympics after seeing off Madrid in the final round of voting, which followed a tense final day of lobbying of International Olympic Committee (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 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 first round after garnering a paltry 18 votes out of 94, quickly followed by Tokyo, the only city of the four candidates to have previously hosted the Games, in the second stage.
Chicago’s defeat came despite the intervention of 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 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 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 are 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 – 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.
How the votes went in the race to host the 2016 Olympic Games, which was won by Rio de Janeiro here on Friday:
1st rd
Madrid 28
Rio 26
Tokyo 22
Chicago 18 – eliminated2nd rd
Rio 46
Madrid 29
Tokyo 20 – eliminated
Abstention 13rd rd
Rio 66
Madrid 32
Abstention 1
Jason Cave
Guest
I must admit, I thought Chicago stood a good chance of winning the bid, but was suprised when the IOC votes came out and Chicago only got 18 votes. Noticed with interest too that in the first round of voting Rio was behind Madrid in the votes 28-26, but in the second round of voting Rio was ahead of Madrid 46-29. Rio snared a 20-1 vote advantage over Madrid in the 2nd round, which was crucial in Rio getting over the line.
Sammy22
Guest
Spiro With the Time zones almost in line I would have thought the US TV companies will still be pretty happy, therefore IOC dollar intact. This would also become a good argument for South Africa with Euro timing come 2020. The way Euro heading towards federation they will be a much stronger block by then in all areas including TV dollar. Really pleased for Rio good choice, it will raise profile and credibility of Brazil as it does for non-mainstream countries
MrE
Roar Rookie
London was hardly 'given' the games in '48 - they were pretty much levered into it as there was little interest elsewhere - for obvious reasons. Interestingly, the last and only time South America came close to 'winning' the games was when Buenos Aries lost out to Melbourne in 1956.
Jason Cave
Guest
Giving the Games to Rio was a massive risk taken by the IOC. This also means that the 'last frontier' of the Olympic Games is yet to be conquered-Africa. What are the chances of a South African bid for the 2020 Olympics? After all, if the IOC is to be taken seriously, they must stage the Games in Africa-and South Africa is the perfect country of all the African nations to do it. Two cities might be in consideration when it comes to a South African bid for the 2020 Olympics-Johannesburg & Cape Town.
sheek
Guest
Spiro, How about Sydney winning the 2000 bid? We didn't have a ghost of a chance until the Tiananmen Square incident. Anyway, I don't know how good technically the Chicago bid was, but the USA have hosted more Olympics than any other country - St. Louis 04, LA 32, LA 84 & Atlanta 96, while none have been held previously in South America. It was Rio's turn.
mattamkII
Guest
Yep and lets hope they can clean up the streets....Rio is an amazingly dangerous place
Jason Cave
Guest
I would imagine the debacle of Atlanta '96 (where everything that could go wrong did go wrong at Atlanta that year. It was left to Sydney 2000 to rescue the Olympic Games)was very much in the forefront of the IOC members' minds when they casted their votes for the decision to award Rio the rights to host the 2016 Olympics. Also damaging comments made by the mayor of Chicago when he was critical of Rio's bid for the 2016 Games would've no doubt hurt Chicago's chances. And add to the fact that not many people in Chicago would've liked the idea of staging the Games, with the huge costs the sticking point. Does Montreal 1976 ring a bell?
Spiro Zavos
Expert
The IOC is a very political organisation. London was given the 1948 Games as a 'reward' for fighting the good fight in the Second World War. Japan was brought into the international family with the 1960 Games at Toyko. By granting the games to Rio, the IOC are saying that South America's time in the sun of international credibility and growing power has begun. There is also the European fear of the Americanisation of the world that works against the USA often in matters like this. This is a big call by the IOC because the US television companies would have been behind the US bid. We tend to criticise the IOC a lot, and with good reason, but in this case the organisation has made the right decision - provided Rio does not bankrupt itself like Montreal in trying to put on the 'best Olympics ever.'
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Yeh - I was a bit surprised to hear that the US had been knocked out first round. It will be a massive time for Brazil - but there is an element of truth in what Kurt is saying. I hope they can make a success of both events.
Kurt
Guest
Yeah, go Brazil. All those billions that you could spend on essential infrastructure for your people instead gets spent on circuses for the masses and self-aggrandisement for politicians and FIFA/IOC plutocrats. Woo hoo.
Tifosi
Guest
US global image just took a bit of a beating, being knocked out first round in the vote. Not having the federal govt guarantee the bid financially was always going to go against them. Anyway Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup then 2016 Olympics, the place will be a non stop party for 2 years !!!!!!