Olympics set to samba as Rio wins

RIO DE JANEIRO claimed a stunning victory in the race to host the 2016 Olympics as favourites Chicago slumped to a crushing defeat.

Brazil will become the first South American country to host the Games, following an historic vote by the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen last night.

The announcement that Rio will host the summer Games – just two years after Brazil host the 2014 football World Cup – led to wild celebrations among the 50,000 people at a party on Copacabana beach.

IOC president Jacques Rogge, who opened the envelope containing the name of the winning city, said: “All four projects are of the highest quality – thank you for your hard work, energy and commitment. But in every competition there can only be one winner.”

Chicago had been the bookies’ favourites to succeed London, especially after US president Barack Obama flew into Copenhagen to address the IOC this morning.

But the Obama magic did not work this time, as the US city was knocked out in the first round of voting, followed by Tokyo, leaving a straight vote between Rio and Madrid.

In the end, Rio were convincing victors, beating Madrid by a wide margin, 66 votes to 32, in the final round as all the previous votes for Chicago and Tokyo swung behind them.

Chicago had been knocked out after polling just 18 votes in the first round, compared to 22 for Tokyo, 26 for Rio and 28 for Madrid.

In the second round, Rio came first with 46 votes, Madrid had 29 and Tokyo were eliminated with 20.

That left a head-to-head with Madrid and the Spanish city confounded expectations by getting so far. But Rio’s passionate pleas to include South America in the Olympic rotation helped win out. Brazil’s charismatic President Luiz Inacio Lula appealed to the IOC to give a first Olympics to South America.

Lula said: “It is time to address this imbalance and send a powerful message to the world: the Olympic Games to all peoples, all continents, all mankind.

“It will be a magical moment. It will be an opportunity to feel the warmth of our people, exuberance of our culture, sun of our joy.”

Soccer legend Pele also joked that he could make a comeback at 68 years of age if the Olympics went to Rio.

“Most important to me is to play in Rio 2016 Olympic Games,” he said. “This will be a victory, no doubt.”

Pele never competed in an Olympics; he turned pro at 16, when only amateurs were allowed compete.