Brazil to host 2016 Olympic Games
Published:Friday | October 2, 2009 | 5:36 PM
Brazil will become the first South American country to host the Olympics, after the city of Rio de Janeiro was chosen to stage the 2016 Games.
Rio won a majority of the 95 votes at the meeting in Copenhagen, eliminating Madrid in the final round. Tokyo and Chicago had already been knocked out.
Chicago\'s early exit was a surprise, after bookmakers made them favourites.
US President Barack Obama had flown to Denmark this morning to join his wife, Michelle, and make an emotional address to the International Olympic Committee delegates.
The gesture, the first time a current US president had addressed the IOC in an attempt to win the Games, failed to persuade the voters.
Chicago received only 18 of the 94 votes available in the first round poll of IOC delegates. Madrid came out top with 28, followed by Rio on 26.
In the second round Rio almost secured the absolute majority needed to win outright, with 46 of the 95 votes cast. Madrid came a distant second with 29, while Tokyo was eliminated after receiving 20.
The final ballot saw Rio win by a comprehensive margin of 66 votes to 32.