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.