IOC Unveils 2016 Olympics Shortlist
The International Olympic Committee has named the cities shortlisted to host the 2016 Olympic Games with Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro making the cut.
The announcement saw Doha, Prague and Baku eliminated from the nominal list of potential hosts by the IOC executive board.
The most surprising of these eliminations was the Qatari city of Doha whose bid, whilst technically excellent, fell down as a result of the searing hot weather during the proposed period over which the Olympics would be staged.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said: ‘All bids were of a high standard. It’s a tribute to the health of the Olympic Movement that the field was so strong.’
The IOC will select a winning city at a secret ballot on 2nd October 2009.
The strongest contender in terms of infrastructure, support and money is Chicago, which is bidding to host the first summer Olympics in America since Atlanta in 1996.
The Americans will however have to improve the technical aspect of their bid after an IOC evaluation report ranked Tokyo and Madrid higher than Chicago, with Rio in fourth place.
Rio de Janeiro, where the first Pan-American Games were held in 2007, would be the first South American city to host the Olympics.
Madrid, meanwhile, is bidding on the back of finishing a close third behind London and Paris in the race for the 2012 Games, and Tokyo hopes to host the event for the first time since 1964.
