The time has arrived. After a campaign lasting two years, the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be chosen on Friday, 2 October. The announcement will be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at 18.30 (13.30 Brasília), in the Bella Center Convention Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the first time a Brazilian city has reached the final stage of the competition; the other finalists are Chicago (United States), Madrid (Spain) and Tokyo (Japan). Representatives of Rio 2016, the three levels of government (federal, state and municipal), the national sports confederations and athletes have gathered in the Danish capital to support the bid along the final straight of the campaign. "The Evaluation Committee report fully endorsed our project, which made us proud and optimistic. But the committee is still working hard right until the moment of the decision," said the president of Rio 2016, Carlos Arthur Nuzman.

Before the final decision, each city will make a 45 minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute session for questions. Rio de Janeiro will be the third city to present at 12.00 (7.00 Brasília). The first will be Chicago, at 08:45 (03:45 Brasília); the second Tokyo, at 10:30 (05:30 Brasília); and the fourth, Madrid, at 14:50 (09:45 Brasília). The order was defined by the IOC at the outset of the campaign by the drawing of lots.

In the presentation team are Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; president of the Central Bank, Henrique Meirelles; deacon member of the IOC and former FIFA president Joao Havelange; the state governor, Sergio Cabral; mayor Eduardo Paes; president of Rio 2016, Carlos Arthur Nuzman; Rio 2016 general secretary, Carlos Roberto Osório; yachtswoman Isabel Swan (bronze medal winner in Beijing 2008).

THE VOTE - After the presentations the vote will be taken. At 17.10 (12.10 Brasília), 97 of the 106 IOC members attending will take part in the first round of voting. Members who do not vote in this round are: IOC president, Jacques Rogge, He Kun Lee of South Korea, whose membership is temporarily suspended, and the seven members linked to candidate cities - Nuzman and Havelange (Brazil), Juan Samaranch Junior (Spain) , Anita DeFrantz and James Easton (United States), and Chiharu Igaya and Chun-Ichiro Okano (Japan). In this round if one of the cities gets 50% plus one vote, it will host the 2016 Games. Otherwise, the city with the fewest votes will be eliminated. The voting process is repeated, this time with the participation of members from the country of the eliminated city. If, again, none of the candidates get 50% plus one vote, the lowest score is eliminated and the final vote takes place between the two remaining cities. The announcement of the winning city will be at 18h30 (13h30 Brasília).

Each city has a delegation of 60 members who are allowed to be present in the theatre only during their own city’s presentation. A delegation from Rio de Janeiro brings together representatives from the sports world, the three branches of the Brazilian state and members of civil society in order to reaffirm the full support and institutional guarantees put forward during the bid. Besides the two members of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman and Joao Havelange, the delegation will include the following representatives:

Athletes

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé) – Athlete of the 20th Century, elected by IOC

Adriana Behar – Olympic Athlete - Beach Volleyball

Bernard Rajzman – Olympic Athlete - Volleyball and President of the Athletes’ Commission, Brazilian Olympic Committee

Cesar Cielo – Olympic Athlete - Swimming

Daiane dos Santos - Olympic Athlete - Gymnastics

Daniel Dias - Paralympic Athlete - Swimming

Gustavo Kuerten - Olympic Athlete - Tennis

Hortência Marcari - Olympic Athlete - Basketball

Isabel Swan - Olympic Athlete - Sailing

Janeth Arcain - Olympic Athlete - Basketball

Roseane Ferreira dos Santos (Rosinha) - Paralympic Athlete - Athletics

Torben Grael - Olympic Athlete - Sailing

Bárbara Leôncio – Young Athlete - Athletics

Paula Andressa Dias Clementino – Young Athlete - Judo

Vitor Hugo Silva Mourão dos Santos – Young Athlete - Athletics


Rio 2016 Committee

Carlos Roberto Osório – Secretary General

Leonardo Gryner – Communications and Marketing Superintendent

Agberto Guimarães – General Manager for Sports

Mário Cilenti – International Relations Director

Christiane Paquelet – International Relations Manager

Françoise Zweifel –International Consultant


Federal Government

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – President of the Republic

Tarso Fernando Herz Genro – Minister of Justice

Orlando Silva – Minister of Sport

Luiz Eduardo Barretto – Minister of Tourism

Franklin Martins – Minister and Chief of the Presidential Communications Secretariat

Henrique de Campos Meirelles – President of the Central Bank

Ricardo Leyser – National Secretary of Elite Sport

Georges Lamaziére – Brazilian Ambassador to Denmark

George Prata – Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Otávio Rodrigues de Miranda Filho – Adjutant of the Order of the Presidency


State Government

Sérgio Cabral – Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Adriana Ancelmo Cabral – First Lady of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Márcia Lins – Secretary of Tourism, Sport and Leisure

Regis Fichtner – Chief Secretary of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Joaquim Levy – Finance Secretary of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Pricilla de Oliveira Azevedo – Commander of Community Policing Unit, Rio de Janeiro Military Police


Municipal Government

Eduardo Paes – Mayor of the City of Rio de Janeiro

Cristine Paes – First Lady of the City of Rio de Janeiro

Ruy Cezar de Miranda Reis – Special Secretary of the City of Rio de Janeiro for Rio 2016

Pedro Paulo Carvalho Teixeira – Chief of Staff of the City of Rio de Janeiro

Felipe de Faria Góes – Municipal Development Secretary


Legislative Authority

Michel Temer – President of the Chamber of Deputies

Marcelo Bezerra Crivella – Senator

Jairo Souza Santos – First vice-president of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Jorge Miguel Felippe – President of the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro


Judicial Authority

Luiz Zveiter – President of the Justice Tribune of Rio de Janeiro

Cláudio Soares Lopes – Attorney General of Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian Olympic Committee


Edson Menezes – Representative of the General Assembly of the Brazilian Olympic Committee

Marcus Vinícius Freire – Executive Superintendent of Sport of the Brazilian Olympic Committee


Brazilian Paralympic Committee

Andrew Parsons – President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee


National Olympics Confederations

Roberto Gesta de Melo – President of the Brazilian Athletics Confederation

Coaracy Gentil Monteiro Nunes Filho – President of the Brazilian Aquatics Confederation

Ary da Silva Graça Filho – President of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation


Sponsors

Benedicto Barbosa da Silva Júnior – Executive Vice President, Odebrecht

Carlos Fernando de Carvalho – CEO of Carvalho Hosken

José Formoso Martinez – President of Embratel

Luiz Carlos Trabuco Cappi – CEO of Bradesco

Olavo Egídio Monteiro de Carvalho – President of the Board, Monteiro Aranha Group

Paulo Coelho - Writer