Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games
The city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil has been elected as the Host City of the 2016 Games, becoming the first South American city to host the event.
Rio beat off competition from Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo to win the prestigious event, which was announced in Copenhagen by IOC President Jacques Rogge.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has sent a message of congratulations to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes. He said: "Hosting the greatest sporting event on the planet is a huge honour that will transform Rio de Janeiro as it is transforming London, even before the first starting gun has been fired. I am sure that, like London, your wonderful city will stage a fantastic Games for athletes and spectators alike.
"Enjoy this moment of well earned celebration. Although the real hard work now begins, I look forward to welcoming you and your 2016 team to our city in the coming years, and will be happy to share our experiences of the road to 2012 as Beijing has done with us both before and since their awesome summer Games in 2008." |
