Summer Olympics — 2016

All time favorite games and most awaited games are back again this summer. The 2016, Summer Olympics officially known as Games of the XXXI Olympiad, and generally known as Rio 2016 are the major international multi-sports event in the tradition of Olympic Games governed by the International Olympic Committee are going to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from August, 3 to August 21, 2016 beginning with preliminary competition in football on Aug 3 2016.

A record number of countries participate in a record number of sports. More than 15,000 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are registered to take part, including first-time entrants Kosovo and South Sudan. The games will feature with 28 Olympic sports including rugby sevens and golf, with 306 sets of medals. Rugby sevens and Golf are added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. All the sports events are going to take place at 33 venues in the host city and at five venues in the cities of Sao Paulo; Brazil's largest city, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília (Brazil's capital), and Manaus.

This is going to be the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Thomas Bach. The host city, Rio de Janeiro was announced at the 121st IOC Session held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 2, 2009. Rio will turn out to be the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics. These Olympiad games are the first games to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country; and the primary to be held entirely during the host country's winter season (the 2000 games began on September, 15 for 5 days before the Southern Hemisphere's spring equinox), the first since 1968 to be held in Latin America, and the opening since 2000 (and 3rd overall) to be started in the Southern Hemisphere.

There were many controversies marked to lead-up these games, and this is because of the instability of the country’s federal government, as well as the safety and health concerns surrounding with the Zika virus and significant pollution in the Guanabara Bay. The other reasons like doping scandal involving Russia, which has affected its athletes to participate in these games.

The process of Bidding

The process of bidding for Olympics is not that easy for many countries and for 2016 summer Olympic Games this process was officially launched on May 16, 2007; and the first step for each city was to submit the application to the IOC – International Olympic Committee by September 13, 2007, to confirm their bid. Four cities were shortlisted on June 4, 2008; Chicago, Rio De Janeiro, Madrid and Tokyo (which hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and will host again in 2020).

After many restrictions the final voting was held on October 2, 2009, in Copenhagen with Madrid and Rio de Janeiro stood as favorites to land the games excluding Tokyo and Chicago from the list. The lead held and Rio de Janeiro was announced as the host for Summer Olympics 2016.

Torch Relay

The volleyball player Fabiana Claudino will start the events with torch relay in Brasília.

The Olympic flame was lit at the temple of Hera in Olympia on April 21, 2016, with the traditional start of the Greek phase of the torch relay. On April, 27 the flame was handed over to the Brazilian organizers at a ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. There was a brief stop made in Switzerland to visit the IOC headquarters and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne as well as the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The torch relay began its Brazilian journey on 3 May at the capital Brasília, visiting more than 300 Brazilian cities; including all the 26 state capitals of the Brazilian Federal District. The last part to be held in the city of Rio de Janeiro lighting the cauldron of the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on August 5, 2016.

Ticketing

The ticket prices were announced on September16, 2014, and all of which will be sold in Brazilian Reals (BRL). A total of 7.5 million tickets are sold; and 200,000 tickets are less compared to the 2012 Summer Olympics, because of many arenas size. Ticket prices range start from BRL 40 for many events to BRL 4,600. Whereas, the street events such as road cycling, race walk, and the marathon can be watched along their routes for free.

The Games - Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations will take place at the Maracanã Stadium on 5 August 2016.