CE Week #5: “Rio Wins 2016 Olympics in a First for South America” Oct. 3rd
October 3, 2009
By JULIET MACUR
COPENHAGEN — When Rio de Janeiro was elected host city for the 2016 Olympic Games on Friday, the room where its bid team gathered turned into a boisterous party with members in uniform navy or moss green blazers hugging, dancing, crying and waving Brazilian flags. The bid leader, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, yelled, “We did it! We did it!”
Rio and Chicago had gone into the day considered the favorites, ahead of Tokyo and Madrid. But by the time Rio was chosen by the International Olympic Committee to become the first South American city to host the Olympics, the Chicago delegation and its star-studded supporters were nowhere in sight.
They had already left the building.
Despite the support of President Obama, who flew in specifically to address the I.O.C. voters, Chicago finished last, out of the running in the first round of voting, with a paltry 18 of a total 94 votes. Tokyo received 22, with Rio getting 26 and Madrid 28. In each round, until one city gains a majority, the low vote-getter is eliminated. After Chicago was tossed aside, nearly all of its votes went straight to Rio in the second round. In the third, after Tokyo was eliminated, Rio won handily, 66-32.
The chance to bring the Olympics to a continent that had never hosted the Games worked in Rio’s favor. During its presentation, the bid team showed a graphic of the world and marked all the places that have held an Olympics. South America was glaringly bare.
“There was absolutely no flaw in the bid,” the I.O.C. president, Jacques Rogge, said.
Chicago officials had worked nearly four years and spent nearly $50 million to bring the Summer Olympics to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games. There were many possible explanations for Chicago’s spectacular failure, but little consensus.
Some pointed to the regional bloc voting in the treacherous first round. Others said some voters, assuming Chicago was a lock to advance because of the presence of Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, might have taken their early votes elsewhere. Many also blamed the rocky relationship between the United States Olympic Committee and the I.O.C.
Others said there was no explaining it.
“Everybody was shocked at that result,” said Rene Fasel, an I.O.C. member from Switzerland, regarding Chicago’s first-round ouster. “Everybody expected Chicago and Rio, everybody. It was really strange, and I feel really sorry. If it would have been Chicago and Rio in the end, it would have been much closer.”
Anita DeFrantz, one of two I.O.C. members from the United States, said she could not believe how the vote unfolded, particularly after the Obamas’ visit. “I hate the fact that these elegant people were here and then our country got treated that way,” she said.
Beyond showing an apparent indifference to the United States’ star power, the I.O.C. vote was interpreted as a repudiation of the U.S.O.C., which has been in upheaval over the past year and has struggled to gain a favorable standing within the I.O.C.
“It was a defeat for the U.S.O.C., not for Chicago,” said Denis Oswald, an I.O.C. member from Switzerland.
Mr. Oswald said that 10 to 15 fellow I.O.C. members had approached him recently wanting to discuss issues related to the U.S.O.C. He said that changes in U.S.O.C. leadership “has not helped,” either, and that it was clear that the Chicago bid and the U.S.O.C. were not united. Stephanie Streeter, the acting chief executive of the U.S.O.C., and Larry Probst, the committee’s chairman, have taken their posts in the last year and have run into problems with the I.O.C., most notably over their stalled plan for an Olympic television network and their share of the Games’ network and corporate sponsorship contracts.
“The United States, within the Olympic movement, hasn’t engaged as well as we could have for a long time,” said Robert Ctvrtlik, the U.S.O.C. vice president for international relations. “There’s a lot of politics going on. This isn’t just on the merits. I don’t think it’s anti-American. Maybe we still don’t have the horsepower to do some of the politicking within the movement.”
For the first time, a United States president met with the I.O.C. on behalf of an American bid — which U.S.O.C. officials called the country’s strongest bid ever — but that was not enough. This followed New York City’s failed bid for the 2012 Summer Games, a second-round exit after winning only 19 votes.
“All we know is that the first round is always the most dangerous and obviously we didn’t have a large region of support,” Chicago’s bid leader, Patrick G. Ryan, said. “We wanted to bring home the victory and we didn’t. It wasn’t our day.”
On his flight back to Washington on Friday, Mr. Obama said he was disappointed about Chicago’s finish.
“I have no doubt that it was the strongest bid possible and I’m proud that I was able to come in and help make that case in person,” Mr. Obama said after arriving back in Washington.
In Rio, officials declared a holiday for city and state employees. While tens of thousands of people had begun the celebration on the city’s Copacabana beach, where people dressed in shorts and bikinis jumped to samba music, the scene was different earlier in Chicago.
All over the city, people responded to the city’s elimination with astonished silence, blank looks and questions. The word there had been that Chicago would survive at least until a late round of voting, if not win. Planned celebrations at schools, parks and restaurants ended abruptly Friday morning.
“It’s sad,” said Marshall Burt, a lawyer, as he stood in Daley Plaza, in the heart of Chicago’s Loop, where thousands had gathered for what they expected to be a victory rally. “But I think probably the world is still not real keen on America.” He added later, “Chicago may still have the image of gangsters and corruption.”
The I.O.C. member Kevan Gosper, of Australia, said the few votes cast for Chicago could have been an accident. “There might have been an effort on the part of the Asian group to protect Tokyo in the first round,” he said.
Richard W. Pound, an I.O.C. member from Canada, said that Chicago might have been eliminated early on purpose. “I think there were a lot of people saying, if we don’t get it, we’ll support you, but we’ve got to stop Chicago,” he said. “That’s sport politics, not anything else. It’s election management. The Europeans and the Asians are much better at this than we are.”
Some members of the Olympic movement in the United States said they were bracing for this moment.
Skip Gilbert, the chief executive of USA Triathlon and the chairman of the National Governing Bodies Association, said he planned to meet with other executives at national governing bodies to decide what to do next. One option would be to recommend a change in leadership, he said.
“I think it comes down to when you have a leadership that has no real connection to the Olympic movement before they walk into their roles, what would you expect that they’re going to be able to do in terms of being leaders of an Olympic movement?” he said. “Unfortunately it seems like — and the vote kind of confirms it — that we were doomed to fail from the beginning.”
Still, Chicago planned for victory. The bid team reserved a hall in downtown here, where they had planned to celebrate with about 500 supporters. When the team arrived, the crowd began singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” said Michael Plant, a U.S.O.C. board member here as part of Chicago’s delegation.
Geography, though, was Rio’s strongest point. It helped the city overcome concerns about security in the Brazilian city. There were also concerns that the country would be overextended because it is hosting the 2014 World Cup.
It helped Rio that the I.O.C. has a history of trying to effect change with its choices for bid cities. The committee awarded the 2008 Summer Games to Beijing, hoping to help open China to the world. In 1981, it gave the 1988 Summer Games to Seoul to help usher in a civilian government.
By choosing Rio, it could help the country develop faster and could bring an entire continent of people closer to the Olympic movement.
“Today is the most emotional day in my life, the most exciting day of my life,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil said. “I’ve never felt more pride in Brazil. Now, we are going to show the world we can be a great country. We aren’t the United States, but we are getting there, and we will get there.”
Monica Davey contributed reporting from Chicago; Alexei Barrionuevo from Rio de Janeiro; and Richard Sandomir, Katie Thomas and Lynn Zinser from New York.
I’d heard last week that Chicago lost the Olympics for 2016. It is quite a bummer. What I did learn though is the thoughts behind why we lost. The most interesting fact I keep thinking about is when Marshall Burt, a lawyer, said “’Chicago may still have the image of gangsters and corruption.’” It’s ironic, because this is the image I think of when thinking or Chicago, even though I do know it’s mostly wrong. Also I think it’s interesting that some think Chicago got put out first on purpose, as if The Olympic Committee solely voted for other places just to not vote for Chicago. It doesn’t make much sense, and it’s not the way the Olympic Games should be voted on.
Although I think it would be a great opportunity for the USA to have to 2016 Summer Olympics, and it’s a great thing that Obama tried hard for them, I am actually very happy for Rio de Janeiro and all of Brazil. I thought it was a huge compliment for the Brazilian President to mention “‘I’ve never felt more pride in Brazil. Now, we are going to show the world we can be a great country. We aren’t the United States, but we are getting there, and we will get there.’” I also think it’s very patriotic of them to make that day a national holiday, very adorable.
My main question, as I’m sure it is for all of Chicago, is what is the main theory of why Chicago got eliminated first? And, why do the I.O.C. and the U.S.O.C. have problems with each other?
A. What I learned
I learned 2 terms. The first is that the I.O.C. is the International Olympic Committee where the U.S.O.C. is the United States Olympic Committee, which later became obvious. But also that mostly well recognized cities made the list for the next Olympic host cities such as Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago. Whereas Rio de Janerio and the South Americas have never had an Olympic game, hosted or otherwise.
B. What I think
To be quite honest, I’m happy that Rio won. Sure Chicago had an almost guaranteed win but that city still has that ‘mob and gangster’ context and really, the United States will always have a chance to host the Olympics. But with the choice itself, Obama shouldn’t have taken a vacation with his wife just to waist jet fuel and spread a couple of meaningless words as to why Chicago should host the 2016 Olympics. In the end Chicago and the United States were just putting all their eggs in one basket, planning for victory without planning for defeat, and being a ‘party pooper’ for loosing. Whereas Rio was kind and courteous to their win, complimenting the US as well as being just overall happy.
C. My question
How soon in advance are cities chosen for the next games? And does the choice go by country then city chosen or just by the cities?
That’s too bad; I would have loved to see Chicago host the Olympic games. Especially when you think about the amount of money this could have brought into our country with the multitudes of athletes and millions of tourists!
Obama stated, “I have no doubt that it was the strongest bid possible and I’m proud that I was able to come in and help make that case in person.” By Obama making a personal visit by going to this meeting, it really showed the interest we have as Americans for the Olympic games being held in Chicago. Although we didn’t pull it off in the end, hopefully we can see the next Olympic games in Chicago, or sometime soon. Also, author Juliet Macur, stated that Chicago spent about fifty million dollars trying to bring the Summer Olympics into the US. What exactly does that money go towards? I would guess advertisements and things, but fifty million dollars in four years is a little unreasonable.
What are the voters actually voting on when it come to the cities? Is it just the location where the games will be held? Or are there more elements to make that city become the heart of the Olympic games?
A) Last week in Spanish I heard about all of the cities that were competing to get the 2016 Olympic Games, and I knew that Chicago was one of them. I didn’t hear that Chicago lost the Olympics for 2016 though because last week I was too busy studying. I didn’t know that everybody would be so mad that Chicago lost the Olympics and personally I don’t think that it is that big of a deal. I also didn’t know that South America has never hosted the Olympic Games before.
B) Honestly, I think that it is great that Rio de Janeiro gets to host the Olympic Games in 2016. South America has never hosted the games so I think that it is finally there chance to. I am proud that Obama fought hard for Chicago and I think that it would have been cool for the United States to have the Olmpics back. However, I don’t think that people should have got their hopes up too much for Chicago winning the Olympics because you never know what is going to happen. Marshall Burt is probably right when he said that Chicago still might have the image of corruption and gangsters and other countries are not going to want to go somewhere where there is gangsters and corruption. If Chicago really wanted to win the games then they probably should have done a little more work to get them.
C) Why are people so dissapointed and shocked that Chicago didn’t win?
A. I had already heard something about Obama pushing for the Olympics in Chicago and how that might hurt his reputation. I also somewhat knew that where the Olympics is held is rather arbitrary in terms of how voting proceeds.
B. I never knew that there had never been a single Olympic games in South America. I think that is rather ridiculous considering the Olympic Games are intended to foster a sense of world community among world countries. I wholeheartedly believe that by bringing these games to South America, the cultural experience of the Olympics will be enriched that much more. I feel like the United States has had its fair share of the Olympics in recent years. The United States isn’t that diverse to hold the Olympics here that often. Why not go to a lesser known country with a rich culture? The I.O.C. should consider this approach. It will keep things exciting just like in the TV show Survivor. Survivor chooses a new place every year that is exotic, new, fresh, and exciting. The Olympic Games should be the same.
C. I would really like to know what proportion of the Olympic Games have been held in the United States since its inception.
What I learned from this article is that Rio and Chicago were supposed to be the two favorites to host the Olympics, instead of Tokyo and Madrid. When Rio was chosen, the first South American country to host the 2016 Olympics by the International Olympic Committee the Chicago delegates and supporters were nowhere to be seen. They were angry and left. Chicago was tossed out in the first round. This followed the New York City failed bid for the 2012 summer games. In Rio, officials declared a holiday for city and state employees.
I am personally glad that Rio gets to host the 2016 Olympics. This is South America’s first Olympics, The United States and Europe have hosted many Olympics so, South America should be able to host an Olympic. I also think that the United States has shown very poor sportsmanship. We should have been the first to pat them on the back and say congratulations. Instead, we almost sulk off like a little kid. The United States is better then that.
Some of the questions that I have are just how many Olympics have the Unites States and Europe hosted? Why is it that the United States gest to host so many games when South America and Africa haven’t even hosted one yet?
Obama is actually playing this smart I agree.
. He knows how much money the Olympics would cost, how much his health care proposal would cost, and how much the government’s funding model is strained right now.
He probably arranged it himself behind the scenes, and made his “public support” just so he could have plausible deniability. That way he can declare, when it comes time for federal grants to states to go around again, “You guys ain’t in need, you had all these plans for the Olympics, grab the revenue you wanted to use for that.”
Makes perfect sense to me.
Drew Williams
Learned:
I didn’t know that this would be South America’s first Olympic games. I didn’t know it took millions and millions of dollars to get your city chosen for the games. I learned that Chicago and Rio were suppose to be the favorites going into the voting but it didn’t work that way for Chicago. I also didn’t know that Chicago was tossed out in the first round of the voting. I learned about two different groups from this article: The I.O.C. is the International Olympic Committee and the U.S.O.C. is the United States Olympic Committee.
What I think:
Obama has a lot more important things to worry about right now than to get the games to his city. He needs to stop getting involved with so much sports related topics and do his job. It would have been nice to have the Olympic games here, but Obama just spent 50 million dollars. We already are in enough debt, did he have to go and do that just so he can have the games in Chicago? He isn’t helping us by bringing the games to Chicago; he’s just helping himself. He needs to stop being so obsessed with Chicago and start becoming obsessed with the entire United States. It will be good to have the Olympic games in a country that has never had it before because it can show us what that country can do.
Questions:
Why do we vote so far in advance for the site of future Olympic games?
If Brazil is going to host the 2014 World Cup, why are they allowed to also host the 2016 Olympics?
A. “Rio wins 2016 Olympics in a first for South America” by Juliet Macur, explains the sad feelings of Americans as well as the excitement of the citizens of Rio. In a shocking move the United States was removed from the running for holding the Olympics in Chicago in the first round of voting. The shock of the American team was not shared by all, some people feel there was a strain between the U.S.O.C. and the I.O.C. and that this was part of the reason the United States did not win the vote. I also learned that South America has never held the Olympics and that the committee hopes to help the country to develop with the Olympics.
B. I feel that the Olympics being held in Rio de Janeiro will be helpful to the country in terms of development. The fact that the United States did not win the Olympic bid does not seem to be a horrible tragedy, since the country already has a good standing in the world. This will allow other countries the ability to grow and cause the United States to have time to recover from the economic depression we have been in.
C. What I was wondering: what does I.O.C. stand for? And how many times has the Olympics been held in the United States?
What I learned:
I was so bummed out to hear that Chicago was outing of the bidding for the 2016
Olympics. It would have been so cool for it to be in the U.S. for the first time since 1996 in Atlanta. It really surprised me that Chicago was out of the bidding after the first round, especially after President and Mrs. Obama flew out to Copenhagen just to put in a good word for Chicago. I also learned a lot about why we didn’t win and how the Olympic voting process works. Before I read this article I had no idea that there was such an intricate voting process that goes along with picking a locating for the Olympic games. I did not know that Tokyo and Madrid were also in the running. As I read this article, I found out that the U.S.O.C. and the I.O.C do not get along very well. I was also surprised to learn how big a role politics plays in the sporting community.
What I thought:
I thought that it was really cool that Rio de Janeiro won the bid. It was sad that Chicago did not win, but I think that the United States will have other opportunities to host the Olympics in the future. The I.O.C obviously had a purpose for choosing Rio and I think the main reason was to help the city, and Brazil as a country, grow in a united effort to host the world’s largest sporting event.
What I would like to know more about:
In the article, Macur said that the I.O.C and the U.S.O.C were not on good terms, why is that?
A. Tokyo, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Chicago were all potential host cities for the summer Olympics of 2016. Rio de Janeiro was picked after a bid that had “absolutely no flaw”. This bid emphasized Rio de Janeiro’s geographic location, key because the Olympics have never been held in South America. Many people, mostly Americans, were flabbergasted that Chicago didn’t win or at least make it to the top two. The I.O.C tries to “effect change” with their picks, and this along with bad politicking on the U.S.O.C. ‘s part explain why cities were and weren’t chosen.
B. Rio de Janeiro was the right pick. The Olympics are a world-wide competition so every populated continent should host it at least once. The security concerns are legitimate but they can be dealt with. Brazil definitely needs an economic boost and the Olympic tourism will help tremendously. Ya, it’s a bummer that the United States didn’t win the bid but it wasn’t our time. Anita DeFrantz made me roll my eyes with her statement of “I hate the fact that these elegant people were here and then our country got treated that way”. Just because our President showed up doesn’t mean the bid is rightfully ours. There were two other losers. I think this decision will open the USOC’s eyes. They will pick up their efforts and enter into the good favors of the IOC and when the time rolls around the United States will enter to win the bid again.
C. The representatives from Switzerland had a lot of neutral things to say about the decision. Have they ever hosted or been considered to host the Olympics? What makes a country ideal for the Olympic bid?
A. Last week we learned in our Spanish article time a few of the countries that were in the running for the 2016 Olympic Games. I was a little surprised to hear that Rio was one. I guess compared with Beijing and Tokyo and Madrid Rio doesn’t seem like quite the tourist spot to host such a major international event. I learned that the U.S.O.C stands for, United States Olympic Committee. I didn’t know before reading this article that the Olympics had never been in South America before. I was a little confused as to why everyone thought Chicago had it in the bag to win.
B. I am glad that Rio got the bid. I follow the summer Olympics closely and enjoy watching all the events. I think that you can show loyalty and pride for your country regardless of whether the events take place in one of your cities. I think that the United States will have an opportunity in the future to host the summer games. It seems like mostly big name countries and cities get in on the bids, but I’m happy for South America to host their first ever Olympic games. I would hope to see the Olympic games go to a U.S. city (preferably one on the West coast) in the near future.
C. What are some of the factors in determining whether or not a city is eligible to host the games? Do size and tourist appeal and economy factor in? Also what is the ratio of Olympics hosted in the United States versus elsewhere in the world?
From this Article I learned a lot about the I.O.C and how a country goes about hosting the Olympics. I did not know that voting for the host country goes in a series of rounds until a majority of the I.O.C has come into agreement. I also learned that not only did we lose, but also we got shot down instantly. The I.O.C definitely made a statement during the voting process.
I can see the reasoning behind Chicago losing first round. Think about all the times the U.S has had the Olympics. We have had it 8 times before, and 2 times within the last 25 years. This year the 2010 Winter Olympics are being hosted in Vancouver, Canada a close location to the United States. Geographically, the U.S is being an Olympic hog., if there is such a thing. I can see where the I.O.C would want to get it farther away from North America. Plus I feel like the U.S is always trying to be the center of attention. The world doesn’t revolve around the U.S. This is a great opportunity for Rio to utilize the tourism of the Olympics. However, I laughed at the President of Brazil’s comment that, ‘we aren’t the United States, but were getting there…” because it makes him oblivious to how far they still have to come.
I would like to know, the changes the U.S.O.C has made that would upset the I.O.C.
A. I thought this article was pretty interesting. I knew that Chicago was a contender for the Olympics, but I didn’t realize that they would be out of the race so quickly. I did not know how they actually went about choosing the host city when it came down to the last few choices. I was surprised to hear that many people from Chicago were upset that their city was not chosen, because most of the articles I have read highlighted the negative aspects of hosting the Olympics there.
B. Honestly, I’m glad that Rio was chosen. Chicago is still filled with corruption, poverty, and crowding. The true purpose of the Olympics is to bring people together and celebrate all the differences and cultures of the world, and I think it was right that South America got their chance in the spotlight. Especially since the public support in Rio was much more enthusiastic than in Chicago.
Even though I think it would have been awesome to have the Olympics in America, I think that with a new president and many domestic problems it would be better to put the focus on our real issues, especially when it was announced that Chicago would be footing most of the bill.
C. I would like to know how much the host city affects the actual games and the athletes that compete there. Also, how often in advance are cities chosen?
Rio Wins 2016 Olympics in a First for South America
A. I know that Obama wanted the Olympics to be in Chicago. Boo-hoo we didn’t get it. But guess what, its not the end of the world. I know that Michelle Obama made a trip over to Denmark to plee for the Olympics to be in Chicago. Soon after she left on her own private jet, her husband, President Obama, took his own plane to the exact same destination. You’d think some discussion could have saved a lot of fuel – especially for someone who’s trying to support the “Go Green” movement.
B. So we don’t get to have the Olympics in America. It’ll be ok. Why must we look at this as a bad thing? Also, when our country is in some major debt, why are the Chicago officials spending $50 million dollars to get the Olympics here? Can’t we look at this as a good thing for South America? They could use the tourism more than us. Plus, with all the gang violence going on in Chicago, that’s kind of a risk we’re taking. However I also think that our President and first lady, while they did make a huge “sacrifice” traveling all the way over to Denmark, have a few other pressing matters that could much better occupy their time.
C. My question is: Is there any particular reason the Olympics haven’t been hosted by South America before?
A. I had heard of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and that Michelle Obama and President Obama were going to help with the bid for the city. However, I thought this article gave a lot of insight into how a host city is selected. I never knew before hat they eliminated a city each round. It’s kind of ironic that Chicago was out the first round when the whole bid was getting a bunch of media attention prior to the meeting. Also, I didn’t even know who had won the bid until I read this article or that the Olympics had never been hosted in South America before. I think it’s about time.
B. I’m glad Rio won the bid. Every part of the world should have the opportunity and experience of hosting the Olympic Games. The United States has hosted the games a few times and it’s time will come again eventually. I liked how the article said, “by choosing Rio, it could help the country develop faster and could bring an entire continent of people closer to the Olympic movement.” I’m excited for the people of Rio. I think it was a good decision on the I.O.C.’s part and the bid team for Chicago shouldn’t be embarrassed for the defeat. Maybe just embarrassed for going out in the first round.
C. Where do you think the 2020 Summer Olympic Games should be held and why?
A.Overall I learned that the 2014 Olympics will be held in Rio. Before I read this article I didn’t even know there was International Olympic Committee. It was interesting to read that Chicago, Tokyo, Rio, and Madrid were possibilities for the Olympics. I know that in 2008, it was held in Beijing, China. I look forward to watching it on TV, although I haven’t seen that many of them. I also learned that Rio had a holiday when they found out it would be held there. Chicago was planning on having a celebration in at schools parks and restaurants, but they were canceled early Friday morning.
B.I think that it is a good thing that we are having the Olympics in Rio for year 2014. In 2002 it was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have already had it here and I think we need to give other countries the chance. When it was held in Beijing, one of the reasons was to help open China to the world and now in Rio it is to help develop the country quicker.
C.I would like to know when the first Olympics took place and where it was at. Has anyone from Mt. Spokane ever been in the Olympics?
A. What you learned?
Up until just not when i just read the entire article, i did not realize the Rio was elected to hose the 2016 Olympic Games. I only heard about the possible nominations but had not paid much attention to what was going on.
I did not realized that there were actually committees whose soul purpose was to get the Olympic Games to that country, and had spent a large amount of money in the process, like the U.S.O.C. Which i found interesting.
Another thing that i found interesting and learned while reading this article was the fact that South America has not hosted the Olympic Games before, there’s a first for everything.
B. What you think?
I’m not at all surprised that Chicago did not get elected to host the games, i actually pretty happy with the fact that Rio won the election.
The Untied States has hosted games before compared to the fact that South America has yet to host the Olympic Games, and will like China, help open up the country of Brazil to the rest of the world, not only giving it a boost in the short term but in the long term also.
I can’t say I’m not sad that the Olympic Games will be in the United States, but for some reason i just could not picture the games in the Chicago. Does not seem fitting to be in Chicago.
Even with the support of the Obama making a first person appearance to the elections, i couldn’t help but feel that something was off, that Obama was just making the one time appearance to show that he really cared, but still lost the election. I’m really not sure how to word my thoughts
I’m interested to see what Rio will come up with in the next 7 years, and i think this will be a great boost to the South American Country.
C. What you would like to know?
What kind of people are in the I.O.C?
Who are they that make them so important to decide where the Olympic Games should e held?
Just the day before reading the article, I saw a picture/comic about this on the Internet. It said approximately this: “Rio 2016. Because people would rather see this,” and there was a picture of a hot Brazilian girl in a bikini, standing on the beach, “than this,” and a picture of a bum on the streets of Chicago. That was a pretty cool comic. So, I wasn’t surprised that Rio won. From the article, I found out that Chicago lost in the first round of voting, that it has spent $50 million preparing for the Olympics, and that the US hasn’t hosted the Olympics since 1996. I also didn’t know that Madrid and Tokyo were considered as options, and that no Olympic games have been held in South America yet. President Obama visited the International Olympic Committee. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is Brazil’s President.
It’s silly that people are taking it so personally that the US of A didn’t win. For example, Anita DeFrantz said, “I hate the fact that… our country got treated that way.” What way? There are 200 other countries in the world, besides America. Take a look at the world map one day. Some of the countries, like Brazil, haven’t ever hosted the Olympics yet. It’s sad that politics is so involved in everything. People like Rio de Janeiro a lot more than the other cities – I think that it’s that simple. It sounds a lot better to me than Chicago or Tokyo. Chicago got out in the first round, that is unfortunate. Were the voters supposed to choose a city that they didn’t like, but the one whose country was more powerful?
I would like to know whether the Americans who wasted 50 million dollars are simply upset because they lost their money. Also, which country has hosted the most Olympic games?
I heard at lunch the day of the decision that Chicago had lost the bid to Rio for the Summer Olympics. It’s quite sad, especially after all the excitement lingering in Chicago for the longest time. All of that time and effort has probably gone to waste in some people’s eyes. It’s pretty neat though that South America gets to host the Olympics as well as the World Cup. Opening up to the world is a good thing and that is what Rio needs it sounds like. But hey, at least Spokane won the bid for the 2010 National Figure Skating Championships!
I didn’t know that South America had never hosted the Olympics before. I bet everybody in that country was very proud and excited for this type of event and commitment. I also didn’t know that Obama had gone to visit the I.O.C. it makes me wonder why that had such a negative effect on the outcome.
I would like to know in the future how Rio is holding up with so much to do in so little time. When will the Olympics come back to the United States? And will it be the summer or winter Olympics? What kind of status will Rio have after the Olympics?
A. Basically, I learned absolutely everything that was mentioned in this article. I’m not a massive Olympics fan; as in I don’t follow everything, I just watch some parts when it is on TV. So the whole idea of members voting for the city to host the Olympics is completely new. I always believed that some really important head-of-the-Olympics guy would choose the best fitting place and then randomly choose out of those. I also learned that Obama went down and personally talked to the I.O.C. to put in a good word. That’s pretty cool.
B. To begin, the fact that Obama and Michelle took their time to travel to the I.O.C. on behalf of the Olympics being in Chicago –which is a fairly big deal to Americans– was a really supportive and awesome thing for them to do. As for the Olympics being down in South America for the first time, that’s spectacular. I also loved how the President of Brazil seemed to admire the US so much. Personally, I don’t mind that the Olympics is not located in Chicago. Seeing as history is being made by placing it in South America, and that it will still be in an amazing location, it doesn’t seem like a huge deal. The people probably just worked together to get America off of the list because we were a threat to them winning.
C. Who decides, and how do they decide, who is an I.O.C “judge?” Also, could someone tell me the process of Olympic-site voting?
a.
From an article that I herd in Spanish class, I knew that Brazil had won the bid for the 2016 Olympics. However, I did not know that Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid were in the running as well. I also found out the means by which a city is chosen, voting rounds through the I.O.C. Another shocking fact was how much money we put into the running, only to lose.
b.
I think that it is cool that President Obama took the time to go campaign for Chicago. But I feel like this article focused more on the fact that Chicago did not win, instead of celebration the fact that a South American city did. We have already hosted the Olympics, eight times! We should be happy that Brazil won the race since they have never had the Olympics before, instead of hanging our heads. I also think that it is ridiculous for us to spend 50 million dollars when we are still in a deficit. And we didn’t even win! What did we have to spend 50 million dollars for?
c.
My question is, how does a city gets nominated for hosting the Olympics? Also, who gets chosen to be put on the International Olympics Committee?
“Rio Wins 2016 Olympics in a First for South America”
Comment to Kylei Tompkins:
Kylei, the first Olympics were held in Olympia, Greece. They took place in 776 BC. I’ve actually been there and it’s pretty cool. They even had “lockers” for the athletes to put their clothes in since they usually competed naked. By the way females weren’t aloud to compete, or even watch, since the guys were running naked.
In response to Jesse Peterson and Drew Williams-
How many Olympics have the Unites States and Europe hosted? I found out that the United States has hosted 8 Olympic Games. The games have been hosted in St. Louis, Lake Placid, Los Angeles, Squaw Valley, Lake Placid, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City. Four of them were summer Olympics and four were winter Olympics. Europe has hosted 30 Olympic Games. I.O.C. stands for International Olympic Committee.
In response to Haley Anderson!
I found this out for youuu :]
Any city interested in hosting the Olympics applies to become a candidate city by filling out a huge application and questionnaire. After that, a team of experts examine the applicant cities for technical requirements, both logistical and subjective. That means they check things such as space, access, accommodations, transportation, safety, and security. They also check promotional plans. After some cities have been selected, there is another process where the committee members visit the specific sites where the Olympic events are proposed to occur. There is a secret ballot, and the winning city is determined by simple majority. The contest for hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2016 Summer Olympics is already underway!
http://www.helium.com/items/1024736-how-olympic-host-cities-are-chosen
In Response to Jessica Levy:
The I.O.C. stands for the International Olympic Committee. There is also a United States Olympic Committee.
The United States has hosted 8 Olympic Games by 6 different cities. Four of them were for the Winter Olympics and four were for the Summer Olympics.
1904 Summer Olympics – St. Louis
1932 Winter Olympics – Lake Placid
1932 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles
1960 Winter Olympics – Squaw Valley
1980 Winter Olympics – Lake Placid
1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles
1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta
2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City
In response to Daniel Lipuzhin:
Considering how much time and money was spent trying to get the 2016 Olympics in Chicago, most Americans should be pretty upset. Especially knowing how quickly Chicago was pulled out of the handful of cities to be chosen. It seems like their efforts weren’t acknowledged in the right way, or at all. If, however, they continue work on hosting the Olympics in the future and spend even a greater amount of money, the I.O.C. may begin to see the interest in another perspective.
Also, doing some research I found for Winter Olympics, Switzerland, Innsbruck, Austria, and Lake Placid, have hosted the games twice. In addition, the Olympic games of 2012 will be hosted in London! This will be the third time for them.
I would like to know in the future how Rio is holding up with so much to do in so little time. When will the Olympics come back to the United States? And will it be the summer or winter Olympics? What kind of status will Rio have after the Olympics?
In response to Devon:
Rio will be just fine, the I.O.C wouldn’t just put any country for election to host the Olympics if they did have the resources to host such a event. It will be interesting to see what Rio comes up with in the year to come.
The United States i could see hosting the Olympics games again in probably the next 2 decades, but not any time soon because of the fact that we’ve hosted a game or two before. I would like to see other countries have a chance to open up, like the Olympic games in Rio will.
Rio will definitely be a attraction in the years leading up to the games as countries see what will be developed, opening up South America like the Beijing Olympics did for China.
In response to Megan Sikes:
Q: how does a city gets nominated for hosting the Olympics?
A: The city that wants to get nominated send in a bid and there is a panel of judges that mark them in certain aspects such as suitability and if they have a facility. There are a couple rounds and after each round the country with the lowest score is knocked out. The last country left gets to host the Olympics. This is usually done 10 or so years before the actual event takes place.
Here’s a schedule for the 2016 Olympics:
September 13, 2007 – Deadline for submission of the applications.
October 1, 2007 – List of applicant cities announced
January 14, 2008 – Applicant cities submit their application files. (Mini bid book)
June 2008 – IOC Executive Board selects Candidate cities among the applicant cities.
February 12, 2009 – Candidate cities submit their bid books.
October 2, 2009 – Election of the host city of the Games of the XXXIst Olympiad.
In response to Alysa Draper-Dehart:
I have learned that Olympic cities are chosen seven years in advance. That seems like a long time, but I guess that they have to start preparing and setting up the city for the Olympics games. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to host the Olympic Games. I am glad that Rio got chosen too. They deserved to win.
In Response to Daniel Lipuzhin:
The United States has hosted a grand total of 8 Olympic games. This however, includes 4 winter Olympics and 4 summer Olympics. This is much more than a lot of countries. This furthermore supports the decision to allow Rio to host the next Olympics. I would also like to point out that the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was the last time we held the Summer Olympics, but in 2002 we hosted the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Knowing the United States we will get it back soon enough.
In Response to Daniel Lipuzhin:
I think the people of Chicago are upset because they put so much time and effort into making Chicago more appealing for the Olympic committee and because they lost all the money they used to make Chicago a better for the games. Also, London, Paris, Stockholm, Los Angeles and Athens have hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice. St. Moritz, Switzerland; Innsbruck, Austria and Lake Placid, NY have hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice. In 2012 London will be the first city to ever host the Olympic Games for the third time.
Sarah-
The modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896. Of the 29 times the Olympics have been hosted South America has never gotten the chance. The statement that a continent has never hosted the Olympics sound ridiculous but the proportions of major cities to land mass is small when compared with Europe, which has hosted the majority of the Olympic Games. Then there are the problems with South America itself. Security and expenses are major concerns. Brazil is second to South Africa when it comes to income inequality. Consequently the amount of violent crimes like mugging and sexual assault is high particularly in Rio de Janeiro. South America’s legacy of violence and corruption has probably been the main reason the Olympics have never been held there.
In response to Lauren Lynch!
“I would like to know how much the host city affects the actual games and the athletes that compete there. Also, how often in advance are cities chosen?”
Cities benefit from hosting the Olympics for a couple different reasons. I think it is particularly great for Rio because they have never hosted the Olympics. When athletes and tourists come to the host country of the Olympics, along with them comes money. Also another big benefit is national recognition. This will be great for South America. Cities are chosen about 10 years in advance.
Alysa Draper-Dehart:
I absolutely agree with you’re statement. I think Rio goes hand in hand with the I.O.C.’s decision of change and idea of helping the city.
I agree with what you said about Rio complimenting the U.S. in their somewhat silent victory was fairly modest of them. As for the presidents visit to the address of the vote seemed pointless, like they were trying to hold their power over the Chicago vote. The United States will always have a chance if not an upper-hand in being a competitor of hosting the Olympic Games. All in all you made a great point!
@Haley Anderson’s comment and others
Guess who hosted the most Olympic games? It was us, as in the US, the USA. Eight games, and we’re complaining that we didn’t get our ninth one. Instead, some country that hasn’t yet hosted a single game gets to host it. What a disappointment. Chicago so deserved to win, all just because of the effort and the $50 million we put into it.
You only get a reward for effort in elementary school. In real life, only results matter.
P.S. I’m only mocking those people who took Chicago’s loss very seriously and personally, and blame the I.O.C. for making the US efforts seem worthless. Tokyo and Madrid also lost, just so you know.