Rio De Janeiro’s 2016 Olympic Games
Part II
Becky Kospanova
This year, thousands of people watched the Summer Olympic Games being held in London, Great Britain – one of the most renowned cities of the world. However, in four years, the Olympiad of 2016 will come to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – a spectacular city with rich history, fascinating culture, and beautiful people. It will be the first time a South American city will host such an event, which understandably brings a lot of pride and excitement to the people of Rio and Brazil.
How did the election process occur? In 2009, members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) met in Denmark to discuss the candidate cities and, after three rounds of voting, selected Rio to hold the 2016 Games. Initially, seven cities (Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, Prague, Baku, Doha, and Rio) were proposed by their National Olympic Committees to hold the Olympics. After the voting in 2008, the IOC chose four candidate cities – Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid, and Rio- to be considered as a future host of the Games. After three rounds of voting in 2009, Rio received 66 votes as opposed to 32 votes for Madrid and was given an honor to hold the Olympiad. The judges were very impressed by the proposed plans for building an excellent Olympic village and sporting venues located at four zones and connected by a highway ring, which will allow the athletes to arrive at their destinations quickly.
Undoubtedly, athletes along with spectators and fans will be thrilled to have the Games in Rio – one of the most beautiful cities in the world. When one thinks about Rio, the first things which come to mind are its sandy beaches, festive carnivals, the enormous statue of Jesus the Redeemer on top of Corcovado mountain which overlooks the whole city and, of course, its beautiful and friendly people. However, Rio, which was founded in 1565 by Portuguese, boasts rich history and culture as well. Since late 17th century, Rio became an administrative capital of Portuguese America; and in 1808, the Portuguese Royal family along with other nobility, escaping Europe from Napoleon, moved its capital to Rio. Thus, Rio became the only European capital located outside Europe! In 1822, Brazil obtained its independence from Portugal, but Rio stayed a capital until 1960, when a newly built city of Brasilia became a new capital of the country.
Rio’s history and architecture were influenced by Portuguese, French, English, and its native cultures. There are many spectacular churches, museums, palaces, universities, and old homes which will certainly impress everybody. In fact, Rio is the most visited city in South America with almost 2.5 million tourists arriving annually. There are many historical landmarks in Rio such as National Library, the seventh largest library in the world, National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Natural Science, Botanical Garden, and the Imperial Square. On July 1, 2012, UNESCO granted Rio de Janeiro a title of World Heritage Site in the category of Cultural Landscapes.
All these factors will indisputably greatly enhance the experience of Olympic Games of 2016 for all involved!
