Rio Olympics: World Reactions

Today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, celebrations were held as the city was granted the right to host the 2016 Olympics - the first city in South America to host the games.

"The world has recognised that the time has come for Brazil," said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, according to BBC News.

Reactions varied across the international community. The Times of London called the Chicago proposal's failure a "humiliating defeat" for Barack Obama.

In Madrid, a fiesta atmosphere was quickly silenced after the city lost its second consecutive bid for the games. "It's a disappointment for us," the Spanish Queen Sofia was quoted in The Daily Telegraph.

Perhaps the best reaction came in Tokyo, where AFP reported that Japan's "most famous wrestling family" made a show outside the auditorium where the decision was announced. "We will have 2020", said Heigo "Animal" Hamaguchi as he slammed the door to the venue. He was with his daughter, Kyoko, a five-time world wrestling champion. AFP reported their exchange:

"You don't keep on winning in your life. Sometimes you lose but you come back!," the father said. "Right, Kyoko?"

To which his daughter answered, "Yes."

Many had felt that the Rio's slums and high crime rates might have hindered it's chances, according to Reuters.

The Guardian noted that Rio's governors are planning an $11bn injection into the country to make it Olympic-worthy. However, many hope the games will bring more lasting changes to the country than the 2007 Pan American Games.

"Rio has many poor areas, hundreds of favelas, and we had hoped that, after the games, equipment, resources and sports projects would be redirected towards these areas," the Guardian quoted Chico Alencar, a Brazilian MP. "This didn't happen. The games ended and we went straight back to our routine of inequality and neglect."

Comments

[Ouidah]

It would help to understand what Obama was up against. You can not justify a 5 continent Olympics by awarding the games 30 times in Europe, 12 times in North America and none in South America or Africa. The games will have to be more democratic in the future and will have to be rotated between all 5 continents and not be dominated by Europe. The Aftrican and South Americans would have boycotted the games if the flagrant disregard for the poorer regions of the world had continued.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/rio-olympics-world-reacti_n_308208.html

[ramman]

While we are happy for a continent who has never hosted an Olympics, I can without a doubt fore see there being a huge problem with how the Brazilian Government deals with the slums and the much higher crime rate than the US and other countries mentioned to host. I bet you all that we will here about the bullying and pushing around of the little guy all in the name of the Olympics. I hope it's not the but we'll be signing a different tune watch.

[mgbgt95]

Why is it that the US can't be happy for another country? Have we become that selfish & arrogant?
Brazil is hosting the world's largest sporting event in 2014 (the WorldCup), they'll be more than ready for the 2016 Olympics.
Good for Brazil.

[Hillrick]

There was not a lot of time given to send congratulations. The loss to Chicago was instantly cheered by those who hope this administration fails.

[KIVPossum]

Have we become that selfish & arrogant?

Yes

[Scentedflower]

Who says we have to win all the time.
Winning is giving the best you have.
Winning is congratulating the other who won.
Winning is waiting for your turn,
Winning is giving the opportunity to some one who never had.
Winning is not for a long wait of 7 years, but taking advantage of every opportunity available.
The world now knows Chicago and tunderstood the good old political reasons, just like Americans understand the Gop.
Never criticise the pre z, nor the first lad y, they gave the best. They are the best .
Rewards will come to Chicago or any other country, as one looks to see why they fail and that should be the incentive to make changes. I am sure we all did.

[cylindrical]

Congrats Brazil!

More cow bell, err, thongs..

[jennylynn]

What about BO's great communication methods that the media love? They didn't work?

[c2morow]

How grossly out of touch with the real world you seem to be in all of your posts.

[Scentedflower]

oh Jenny?

[JonW]

We gave the race our best shot so time to move on. Rio is a beautiful city , Brazil is an emerging world player and the preparation for the games will require building many new stadiums, etc which would help employ the large poor population. Hopefully we will use the many millions saved to rebuild our decaying infrastructures!!

[Donatella]

It's good that Rio won, it's time a South American country hosted the Olympics. Rio is a beautiful city and the people are deserve the recognition.

I suspect that historians will see this as one of those minor indicators of the decline of the U.S. I understand the IOC is somewhat arbitrary about their picks but this loss for the U.S., especially with Obama's active support, just points to trends that are not positive for the U.S.

The power of the U.S. was derived from its economic power; its military power is a reflection of its ecomonic power which is waning. The U.S. is rapidly losing its manufacturing base, its heavily in debt, its financial sector supports a very small portion of the population and it spends unsustainable amounts of money on its global military operations. The U.S. will still be a leading country for the foreseeable future but will need to share leadership with countries like India, China and our friends, the Brazilians.

[ElsaIndy]

Good post. It is time for the US to get its economic house in order but our political institutions seem disfunctional.

[Ouidah]

It would help to understand what Obama was up against. You can not justify a 5 continent Olympics with 30 times in Europe, 12 times in North America and none in South America and Africa. The games will have to be more honest in the future and will have to be rotated between all 5 continents and not be dominated by Europe. The Aftrican and South Americans would have boycotted the games if the flagrant disregard for the poorer regions of the world had continued.

[TrueThis]

I guess "The Time of London" forgotten their own humliation of Gordon Brown but I'm proud that our President represented Chicago and this country.

[mgbgt95]

Times of London is another Murdoch publication....you remember him..the Australian bringing down America......

[yemaya]

it's all in the mix. The men are also gorgeous and brown and healthy and sexy, oh my.....

[spikeykitten]

Chicago was the favorite - BHO shows up and Chicago comes in last.

[yemaya]

Who said Chicago was the favorite? Brazil is actually doing pretty well economically. I believe the Olympics go where there will be more business and money and right now that's Brazil. That I think was the decision. We can't always win you know. and no, it wasn't the president's fault. We've had the Olympics many times here which is awesome, but Rio has never had it, South Ameica for that matter, so I say Congratulations Rio! Bem Feito!!!

[ForObamaInDallas]

Actually, Chicago was not the favorite, it was Rio. So it's no surprise they won.

You're just grasping for ANYTHING.

[alwqb]

Chicago was never the favorite stupid. The fix was in with Rio. The IOC is worse than the mafia.

[Scentedflower]

right on bro!

[bobo5]

Rio was inevitable. From a commercial point of view, Rio is a global media marketing bonanza because it is such a stunningly beautiful venue.

The people have nice bodies and love sport. The nation has youthful energy.

[escribacat]

Must be kind of hard getting the facts all twisted into a pretzel like that. Does it hurt?

[SolarArray]

Now Rio will have to deal with the "I demand 5 star treatment" IOC head.
Have fun.

[Kache]

Tsk, tsk, tsk. For the 103 years of the modern Olympics, not once has it been held in Latin America.

Imagine that, we expand the G7 and suddenly the Olympics get held in non-G7 countries. Perhaps it never was about sports after all.

[czed]

That's incorrect. This is not the first time Latin America hosts the games, it is the first time SOUTH America hosts the games. Mexico hosted the Olympics in 1968.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/2/newsid_3548000/3548680.stm

[bobo5]

And they gunned down students in Tlateloco.

[ForVivi]

Geography check:

Mexico is south of the U.S. border but that does NOT make it part of South America!

[LyssaBarnes]

I don't know if this is going to help their economy, but it is nice to recognize someone besides the big players every now and then.

[yemaya]

They are doing pretty well economically actually and better than us right now.

[harriettubman]

All I've heard about Rio is that married men should stay as far away as possible while single men fly there all the time for the beautiful women. What a rep to have. I hope the streets are clean.

[maori]

A mature married man can go anywhere he wants, even the Playboy mansion (gasp), alone, and his wife shouldn't even have to think twice about it :-)

[ForObamaInDallas]

Yup!

[Kache]

Yup. Brazilian women are just that beautiful. And they can't help it, they are born that way.

[UncleJimbo]

Tall & Tan & Young & Lovely......