Sport and youth were the two themes selected by Rio 2016 to mark the one year countdown to the choice of the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. School children from government sports projects were special guests at a series of events held by the three levels of government – federal, state and municipal – to commemorate the fact that, on 2 October 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make its selection in Copenhagen.

On Thursday 2 October, the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral Filho, received representatives of the Rio 2016 Candidature Commission and Tourism Minister Luiz Barreto, to a commemorative lunch at his official residence, the Palácio Laranjeiras. But the highlight of the afternoon was a group of pupils from the “Suderj em Forma” project, which encourages young people throughout Rio de Janeiro to participate in sports such as athletics and swimming. The children, chosen from the more than 50,000 project participants, are part of the Maracanã unit.

Governor Cabral argues that the 2016 Games will stimulate young Brazilians to become even more involved with the Olympic Movement’s values of friendship and respect. “The greatest legacy of the Rio 2016 Games will be social transformation, inspired by Olympic values, which will benefit millions of young Brazilians. That’s what motivates us,” he said.

Mayor César Maia also celebrated the start of the countdown alongside young cariocas; he welcomed children from the Rachel de Queiróz municipal school to his office.

Rio 2016 campaign celebrations began on Wednesday 1 October, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received athletes from the Brazilian delegation that took part in the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The event was attended by 50 children from the Ministry of Sport’s Segundo Tempo (“Second Half”) project, which provides extra physical activity and academic support to children.

Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Candidature Commission, emphasized the role of Brazilian public officials in Rio’s bid: “These events show the commitment of the three levels of government to both Rio 2016 and the Olympic Movement. Sport and education need to go hand in hand so that we can develop a better and fairer society. These principles will guide us over the next 12 months, which will certainly involve hard work, but will also demonstrate the potential of Rio de Janeiro.”