Rio de Janeiro Awarded 2016 Olympic Games; Chicago Eliminated in First Round
Pele
Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Olympics, marking the first time ever South America has been awarded the Games.
Rio beat Madrid in the final round of voting at the International Olympic Committee session Friday in Copenhagen.
Chicago, buoyed by support from President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities, was eliminated in the first round of voting. Tokyo was knocked out in the second round.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged IOC members to award Rio the Games on Friday, saying it was time to address the continent-host "imbalance."
"I honestly believe it is Brazil's time," Silva said. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
With Rio's win, Africa and Antarctica are the remaining continents never to have hosted an Olympics.
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