Tokyo eliminated in balloting, Rio wins bid for 2016 Olympics

COPENHAGEN, Oct. 2 Kyodo -
Tokyo's hopes of hosting the 2016 Olympics were shattered Friday as the
Japanese capital was eliminated in the second round of voting by the
International Olympic Committee.
Rio de Janeiro was named the winner of rights to stage the 2016 Games, beating
Madrid in the final round of voting to become the first South American Olympic
host. Rio had 66 votes to Madrid's 32.
Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting before Tokyo's exit left
the race down to the Rio and Madrid. Tokyo had 22 votes in the first round and
20 in the second.
''I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation for the citizens of Tokyo and
athletes,'' said Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara. ''Let's use this precious
experience, while tackling environmental issues and contribute to the
development of world cities. I pray for the success of the Games in Rio de
Janeiro.''
Under host city voting procedures, the city with the fewest number of votes in
each successive round of balloting is eliminated until one city has reached a
majority of the valid votes cast.
It was Japan's third consecutive failed bid to win the rights to hold the
Summer Games. Nagoya lost out to Seoul for the 1988 Olympics while Osaka was
eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2008 Games, which went to
Beijing.
''It's a pity. We united as a team and did everything we could,'' said Japanese
Olympic Committee chief Tsunekazu Takeda.
''There is a winner and a loser and this time we couldn't win but we have also
gained something. We have to figure out how to go for the 2020 Olympics.''
Tokyo was left to rue what might have been after efforts failed to convince the
IOC that it could stage ''the most compact and efficient Olympic Games ever.''
JOC Vice President Tomiaki Fukuda said he was surprised at Madrid staying alive.
''I thought Madrid would be eliminated. There is a possibility that it won
votes out of sympathy for (former IOC president Juan Antonio) Samaranch. It's a
real shame. I want Tokyo to bid for the Olympics one more time.''
Samaranch had appealed for the Spanish capital, reminding IOC members that, at
age 89, ''I am very near the end of my time.''
During Tokyo's final presentation ahead of the vote Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama urged the IOC to pick Tokyo during a heartfelt speech, saying it was
'' well positioned to serve as a future model of public safety and
environmental stability.''
The host of Asia's first Olympics in 1964, Tokyo won praise from the IOC in an
evaluation report last month for its vision and concept to stage a compact
Olympic Games and a solid financial plan.
It had planned to use several renovated venues from the 1964 Games while its
Olympic Stadium would have been be the first in the world to be powered by
solar energy.
Amid the global economic downturn, Tokyo had also secured a special 400 billion
yen budget for the Games.
During the IOC bid evaluation committee's visit to Tokyo in the spring,
committee chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel said the inspectors were most
impressed by the concept of hosting an Olympics, in which 97 percent of the
venues would be located within 8 kilometers of the Olympic Stadium.
Initial concerns, though, had been raised regarding Tokyo's lack of public
support, while low marks in the evaluation report were also given for existing
venues, operations and land area for the athletes' village.
Although there is no official IOC continental rotation policy, Tokyo faced
another obstacle in trying to bring the games to Asia so soon after Beijing
staged last year's Games.
==Kyodo