Rio 2016 begins countdown to IOC decision
Exactly one year to go until International Olympic Committee meets to select 2016 Olympic host city
Thursday 2 October 2008 marks a key date for the Rio 2016 campaign. Precisely one year from now, the International Olympic Committee will meet in Copenhagen to decide which city will host the 2016 Olympic Games. On Wednesday 1 October, during a celebration at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília, a group of Team Brazil Olympic and Paralympic athletes met President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other senior officials to give their backing to the campaign.
Swimmer César Cielo, gold medalist in the 50m freestyle and 100m bronze medal-winner in Beijing 2008, said the Olympic Games would be a great boost to sports development in Brazil. The Olympic champion used the Rio 2007 Pan American Games as an example of growing visibility not only of swimming, but of other disciplines. We are very excited at the possibility of staging the Olympics in our country, he said.
Emanuel Rego, Olympic champion in Athens 2004 and bronze medalist in Beijing 2008, said he greatly hoped to see Olympic beach volleyball being played in Rio de Janeiro. The athlete noted that his foreign opponents enjoy competitions in the city and that everyone feels at home on the carioca beaches. Emanuel cited the Brazilian peoples participation as part of the attraction, and compared the city to a famous Brazilian stadium: Rio is the Maracanã of the global sports circuit, he said, adding that beach volleyball is an icon of Brazil and Brazil would be a perfect icon for the Olympics.
Two great Paralympic swimmers also gave their support to the bid. André Brasil, who was born and bred in the city, won four gold medals and one silver medal in the S-10 class in Beijing. The champion mentioned his momentous experience in Rio 2007, which he described as a wonderful party, in which we showed all the warmth that carioca spectators provide. The swimmer also issued an invitation to those who have not yet had the opportunity to visit Rio: If you havent seen our beautiful city, hurry here were waiting for you!
Daniel Dias, another Paralympic swimming star in Beijing 2008, winner of nine medals (four golds, four silvers and one bronze) in the S-5 class, said the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro would be important to raise the profile of his sport: We want everyone to know about and believe in Paralympic sport. Lets all support the bid we can win!
Swimmer César Cielo, gold medalist in the 50m freestyle and 100m bronze medal-winner in Beijing 2008, said the Olympic Games would be a great boost to sports development in Brazil. The Olympic champion used the Rio 2007 Pan American Games as an example of growing visibility not only of swimming, but of other disciplines. We are very excited at the possibility of staging the Olympics in our country, he said.
Emanuel Rego, Olympic champion in Athens 2004 and bronze medalist in Beijing 2008, said he greatly hoped to see Olympic beach volleyball being played in Rio de Janeiro. The athlete noted that his foreign opponents enjoy competitions in the city and that everyone feels at home on the carioca beaches. Emanuel cited the Brazilian peoples participation as part of the attraction, and compared the city to a famous Brazilian stadium: Rio is the Maracanã of the global sports circuit, he said, adding that beach volleyball is an icon of Brazil and Brazil would be a perfect icon for the Olympics.
Two great Paralympic swimmers also gave their support to the bid. André Brasil, who was born and bred in the city, won four gold medals and one silver medal in the S-10 class in Beijing. The champion mentioned his momentous experience in Rio 2007, which he described as a wonderful party, in which we showed all the warmth that carioca spectators provide. The swimmer also issued an invitation to those who have not yet had the opportunity to visit Rio: If you havent seen our beautiful city, hurry here were waiting for you!
Daniel Dias, another Paralympic swimming star in Beijing 2008, winner of nine medals (four golds, four silvers and one bronze) in the S-5 class, said the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro would be important to raise the profile of his sport: We want everyone to know about and believe in Paralympic sport. Lets all support the bid we can win!
