Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 Olympics

Rio de Janeiro won the right to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games becoming the first South American city to host an Olympics.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge made the announcement after Rio de Janeiro earned a majority over Madrid in the third and final round of balloting in a meeting among members in Copenhagen. The final vote by the IOC members was in favor of Rio de Janeiro. Announcing the decision to allot the games to Rio, Jacques Rogge 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." Earlier, Chicago, which had long been seen as a front-runner, was eliminated after a stunning first round of voting. Tokyo also was eliminated in the second round which had left just Rio de Janeiro and Madrid in the race. Brazil will also be the venue for 2014 FIFA World Cup.