COLORADO SPRINGS,- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced yesterday Rio de Janeiro as the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, beating out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid through secret balloting of the 106-member IOC body at Copenhagen, Denmark.
Chicago, eliminated in the first of three rounds of voting, earned the title of United States Bid City for the 2016 Olympic Games on April 14, 2007. Chicago, along with the three other finalists to host the 2016 Olympic Games, was chosen as one of the four candidate cities by the IOC Executive Board at SportAccord in Athens on June 4, 2008.
"I applaud the efforts by Chicago to host the 2016 Olympic Games," USA Volleyball Chief Executive Director Doug Beal said. "I felt the city put together a remarkable bid package that would have produced a great event for the athletes to compete in and the world to enjoy. Never before in the history of the Olympic movement has there been four such remarkable bids competing to host one Olympic Games.
"At the same time, I congratulate Rio de Janeiro and Brazil for earning the right to host in 2016. USA Volleyball knows Rio and its Olympic organizers will produce a spectacular Games, and indoor and beach volleyball will be showcased very favorably much like it was at the recent 2007 Pan American Games. Rio's bid was very volleyball-centric, including its committee leadership. I want to pass along my personal congratulations to Rio's bid leader Mr. Carlos Arthur Nuzman, who was a long-time serving president of the Brazil Volleyball Federation (1975-99) and was a member of the FIVB executive committee. Also, Mr. Ary Graça, the current Brazil Volleyball Federation and member of the FIVB executive committee, played a key role in Rio winning the 2016 Olympic bid."
For the complete press release, visit http://usavolleyball.org/news/article/20262.
