Rio de Janeiro has been chosen as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics, beating Madrid in the final round of voting.
Rio's bid will mark the first time the Olympics will take place in South America.
Rio beat out Madrid -- considered something of a long shot -- after potential front-runner Chicago was eliminated from contention earlier this afternoon. Most people in Chicago believed that President Obama and Oprah Winfrey's support for the games in the Windy City would help to propel it to selection.
However, Chicago was dropped from the list and Daley Plaza in downtown is now a very somber scene and very much unlike the attitude in Rio you see above.
"I've never really had a disappointment like this," said Ken Rudd, a 33-year-old salesman from Evergreen Park. "This is one of the saddest things I've ever seen."
Katie Suitor, a 28-year-old social worker, was equally surprised, saying that she had already signed up to work as a volunteer for the games.
"I was looking forward to having the world come and see just how great Chicago is," she said.
In Rio, the celebrations are beyond abundant: people and music streaming through the streets, many of the residents going shirtless as they enjoy the national recognition and attention that their city will receive.
In fact, the "Carnival Part Two" is so loud that CNN's correspondents have had to evacuate from the Copacabana Beach in order for the US bound studio hosts to hear them.
Copacabana was immediately filled with glitter, Brazilian flags and "absolute euphoria" upon the announcement.
Rio had pushed hard for a long time to receive the Olympic bid, with Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urging the Olympic Committee to give South America its first ever shot at the international games.
"It is a time to address this imbalance," Silva said. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
The Olympic Committee apparently believed Silva's pleas to be strong enough, and awarded Rio the chance to showcase itself on an international stage.
President Obama, speaking on Air Force One while returning to Washington, stated that he was "quite disappointed" with the committee's rejection of Chicago's Olympic bid.
In Rio, the celebrations are beyond abundant: people and music streaming through the streets, many of the residents going shirtless as they enjoy the national recognition and attention that their city will receive.
In fact, the "Carnival Part Two" is so loud that CNN's correspondents have had to evacuate from the Copacabana Beach in order for the US bound studio hosts to hear them.
Copacabana was immediately filled with glitter, Brazilian flags and "absolute euphoria" upon the announcement.
Rio had pushed hard for a long time to receive the Olympic bid, with Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urging the Olympic Committee to give South America its first ever shot at the international games.
"It is a time to address this imbalance," Silva said. "It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country."
The Olympic Committee apparently believed Silva's pleas to be strong enough, and awarded Rio the chance to showcase itself on an international stage.
President Obama, speaking on Air Force One while returning to Washington, stated that he was "quite disappointed" with the committee's rejection of Chicago's Olympic bid.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2009 @ 1:31PM
mrjamesdemauro said...
maybe Chicago Olympic this 2022? you vote more eight years . i will vote this Olympic. right.. i hear watch on T.V . with closed-caption. okay i hope see vote.
Reply
10-03-2009 @ 1:46AM
Jason V said...
Rio rocks! This was an excellent decision for many reasons including security. All big cities have crime, but Rio has never had a terrorist attack and Chicago's crime situation all around is the BLACK eye of America. The looks on the faces in the crowd and the dead silence when it was announced that Chicago was out of contention for 2016 was PRICELESS. I'm still laughing.
10-02-2009 @ 1:51PM
Frank and Angela said...
What?
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10-02-2009 @ 2:33PM
cl said...
I'm happy for Rio! I'm glad Chicago did not get the Olympics. Especially when it was said that the likelyhood was that Tax payers would have ended picking up the tab for the games. It's not like when Salt Lake had the winter Olympics and Mitt Rohmney was called in because they were losing money, he turned it around into a money making project. With it going to Chicago, they would not have cared and would have run amock, then Tax payers would have paid for it!
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10-02-2009 @ 2:36PM
CHARLES said...
NO-BAMA shoots & misses!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
NO MORE BAILOUTS OR ACORN PAYOFFS ON OUR TAX DOLLAR$, CHUMP, 2012 or IMPEACHMENT IS COMING SOON
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 7:19PM
ttwty19658 said...
Hey Charles, way to go and support your own country.
Reply
10-03-2009 @ 11:19AM
CHARLES said...
I don't support a socialist, muslim traitor who kisses a Saudi King, raises taxes on our grat grandkids, and lies out his @$$ through a teleprompter over healthcare there's no death panels when there WAS then takes them OUT of the ObamaCare the next week. Stay current on your news pal, your president is your worst enemy, I love my country, it's the leader that's the crook and enemy of it. He won't Pledge Allegience, or support Troops, or talk to the General either.
10-03-2009 @ 8:57AM
Brad said...
Well what did every one expect, the idiot cost us 2.6 million dollars so him and his negro wife could go and tell those folks the Olympics ought to be in Chicago. He lied thru his pearly whites as usual and the Olympic comittee saw through his usual Jive and Lies. More then most did in this country that put the Jiver from Chicago in office. Does that kinda show you just what the world thinks of this joker and the USA today ????
Reply
10-03-2009 @ 11:03AM
pat9639 said...
Well, I beleive the one who lost was not Chicago, it was the world. Chicago would of put on the show of shows. Being eliminated on the first round goes to show you the world doesn't like Americans because of their, so called aragance. It always America that everyone comes running to we they're in trouble or a catastrophe occurs. We will go on, but never forget!
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