"The world has recognised that the time has come for Brazil," said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Rio to host 2016 Olympic Games - bbc.co.uk
Rio edged out Madrid in the final round, after Chicago then Tokyo failed to progress through the voting.
A first for South America, I bet the Brazilians are going to putting on a huge show :-)
Reply to this Sad that Chicago got knocked out in the first round, they would have been a worthy host city, but also delighted that the games are going to South America for the first time, it's really good for the Olympic movement to include everybody! I'm sure it will be one hell of a party! The Rio games will be a memorable event for everyone!....Well done Brasil!
Reply to this Love Rio, happy for Rio...
My first visit was the day they won the World Cup in 2002...was on Copacabana beach, spent two days there...really amazing time!
Will be there with my love one next July....the plan is to handglide from the Corcovado...can't wait!
Had the tought yesterday night, in 2016, my son will be 16...is that make me old?
Reply to this Great to see the Summer Olympics heading to the Southern Hemisphere for only the third time (both others were Australia - Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000). I have read that the other candidate cities were of an excellent quality, but it is nice to see the Games hosted somewhere else apart from bouncing between Europe and North America.
PS to PA: Age is state of mind, not a time of life....
Reply to this PPS: My vote would be for Pele to light the Olympic Flame, though he has never competed in an Olympics - the only factor that counts against him.
Reply to this Hey, my vote goes to Pele too. (Shane, we are revealing our age here........ 😊 Do you know him, Peter, Michael and Jo?
Reply to this Yes 😊
Agree with you guys about him being a chance at lighting the flame. I think his hero status will transcend the fact he never competed as an olympian.
Reply to this Why do you mean Lili, Shane age of Pele age...Pele is easy to check on the web....and Shane, well, I know and I'm sure you know also...
For Pele, I agree, but at the same time, it is in 7 years, and Brazil is a great country, who know who is coming as talent in the few years to come!
Reply to this Oops...ur right. Not just Shane's, but I meant my age too. My simple mind just made me remember all those games of watching Pele on tv....long before Internet and plasma tv. Of course u all know him 😉
Anyone planning to go to Rio for the 2016y Olympics, or is that too far away to plan? Hey Peter, Leslie would be a young man by then 😊...... and I'd be older 😞 yay!
Reply to this Anyone going, had better book their accomodation now then. 😉
I certainly wont be going. If Rio is expensive during Carnival, it likely will be unaffordable during the Olympics.
Reply to this I shall not be going - after attending 3 Summer Games, I have retired from more Summer Games (though the winter is a possibility).
As with every Olympics, there will be a hotel boom, and when the local hotel owners find that there are still many spares rooms just before the Games begin, prices begin to plummet - it happened in Barcelona, Sydney and Beijing.
Reply to this I'd love to go - one of the worlds best cities 😊 - can't think of a better place to stage an Olympics.
Reply to this So far, I tend to avoid all these big stuffs....was living in Shanghai when they had the Beijing Olympics...guess what, I was in Africa! They will have for sure a hotel boom, but they will have a big space issue to accomodate people in the center of the city. Rio has already a serious lack of 4 and 5 stars hotels, wondering where they will put all those officials, VIP and journalists? Guess some did book already this week!
Hopefully also this will able to sort out some of the security issues.
Going to be there next summer, I'll make you an update!
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