The International Olympic Committee has decided to hold the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian city beat Madrid with a 66-32 vote in the third and final round of IOC voting in Copenhagen. Tokyo, which sought to host the Summer Olympics for the second time — the first being in 1964 — was eliminated in the second round.
In an evaluation report last month, the IOC praised Tokyo for its concept of staging a compact Olympic Games. Ninety-seven percent of the venues were to be located within 8 km of an Olympic stadium powered by solar energy, and Tokyo had amassed a special ¥400 billion fund for hosting the Games.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama flew to Copenhagen and gave a heartfelt speech before the IOC. He said Tokyo was "well positioned to serve as a future model of public safety and environmental stability." But Tokyo's pitch apparently lacked something that could move IOC members' hearts.
Brazil's passionate call for the IOC to make Rio de Janeiro the first South American city to be awarded the Olympics struck a chord with IOC members. The Brazilian city's success in becoming the host of the 2016 Games mirrors the energy and vitality of newly emerging economic powers like Brazil, Russia, India and China. Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Games, and Sochi, a Russian resort city by the Black Sea, will host the 2014 Winter Games.
When the IOC narrowed the number of contenders for the 2016 Summer Games last year from seven to four, Rio de Janeiro barely passed the screening. But the evaluation report last month praised the city for its linking Olympic venue construction with urban planning, its efforts to improve security, and a government guarantee for financial support. We wish Brazil success in its role as host city.
Tokyo spent ¥15 billion on its campaign to host the Games. Since the 2008 Summer Games were held in Beijing, perhaps it was too much to expect to see another Asian city with the Olympics eight years later. But the campaign should examine what went wrong, and make public how the money was used.
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