(bbc) Brazil will become the first South American country to host the Olympics after the city of Rio de Janeiro was chosen to stage the 2016 Games. Rio won a majority of the 95 votes at the meeting in Copenhagen, eliminating Madrid in the final round. Tokyo and Chicago had already been knocked out. "The world has recognised that the time has come for Brazil," said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Chicago's early exit was a surprise, after bookmakers made them favourites. US President Barack Obama had flown to Denmark on Friday morning to join his wife, Michelle, and make an emotional address to the International Olympic Committee delegates. But the gesture - the first time a current US president had addressed the IOC in an attempt to win the Games - failed to persuade the voters as Chicago became the first city to see its dream of hosting the biggest sporting event in the world fall by the wayside. "The president is disappointed as you might imagine," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters on board Air Force One afterwards. However, Mr Gibbs insisted the president had no regrets and "would never shy away from travelling anywhere, talking to anyone about this country".

Join BBN for free to post a comment. If you already have an account, please login here to post a comment. You will be returned to this page after logging in.