The 121st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session was held on 1–9 October 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, during which Rio de Janeiro was selected as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1] The city of Copenhagen was chosen on 8 February 2006 by the 118th IOC Session held in Turin, Italy to stage the 13th Olympic Congress, together with the meetings of the Executive Board and the 121st IOC Session.[1] The other candidates were Athens (Greece), Busan (South Korea), Cairo (Egypt), Riga (Latvia), Singapore, Taipei (Chinese Taipei).[1] Convened on the initiative of President Jacques Rogge, the 13th Olympic Congress brought together all the constituent parties of the Olympic Movement to study and discuss the current functioning of the Movement and define the main development axes for the future.[1]

2009 IOC presidential election

 2001
9 October 2009
2013 
 
Candidate Jacques Rogge
Home state Belgium
Popular vote Unopposed

President before election

Belgium Jacques Rogge

Elected President

Belgium Jacques Rogge

Logo of the 121st IOC Session.

The programme for the meeting was:[2]

  • 1–2 October: Part I of the IOC Session. The 2016 host city was announced on October 2: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
  • 3–5 October: The Olympic Congress.
  • 7–9 October: Part II of the IOC Session. Elections for IOC President and IOC Members were held, as well as the final vote on the potential inclusion of golf and rugby sevens in the 2016 Games. Both sports were approved for the 2016 programme.
The Bella Center was the location used for the IOC Session & Olympic Congress

2016 Olympic host city election

edit

On 2 October 2009, the IOC voted to elect the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Rio de Janeiro was elected host city after three rounds of voting. This was Rio's fourth bid for the Olympic Games. Jacques Rogge, former president of International Olympic Committee said, "I have the honor to announce that the games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of Rio de Janeiro."[3]

Election of the Host City of the 2016 Summer Olympics — ballot results
City Country (NOC) Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
Rio de Janeiro  Brazil 26 (27.66%) 46 (48.42%) 66 (67.35%)
Madrid  Spain 28 (29.79%) 29 (30.53%) 32 (32.65%)
Tokyo  Japan 22 (23.40%) 20 (21.05%)
Chicago  United States 18 (19.15%)
121st IOC Session Vote details Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
121st Session of the International Olympic Committee.
121st Session of the International Olympic Committee.
Copenhagen - Denmark
Eligible 95 97 99
Participants 94 96 98
Abstentions 0 1 0
Valid ballots 94 95 98
Members unable to vote
Members from countries with candidate cities Other members
United States Anita L. Defrantz · United States James L. Easton · Japan Chiharu Igaya · Japan Shun-Ichiro Okano · Brazil João Havelange · Brazil Carlos Arthur Nuzman · Spain Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. Belgium Jacques Rogge (IOC president) · South Korea Lee Kun-hee (suspended) · Guinea Alpha Ibrahim Diallo (absent) · Finland Saku Koivu (absent)
  • Following Chicago's elimination, the two American IOC members were able to vote in the second and final rounds of voting.
  • Following Tokyo's elimination, the two Japanese IOC members were also able to vote in the final round of voting.

Later corruption investigations

edit

In 2017, Brazilian police and prosecutors investigated allegations that the Rio 2016 bidding process had involved vote-buying. The investigation focused on claims that Carlos Arthur Nuzman, then president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and head of the Rio 2016 bid committee, helped arrang a US$2 million payment connected to Lamine Diack and Papa Massata Diack shortly before Rio was selected as host city.[4][5]

In 2019, former Rio de Janeiro governor Sérgio Cabral testified that he had paid US$2 million in bribes to secure votes for Rio's bid, allegations that led the IOC to open an inquiry. Nuzman denied wrongdoing.[6][7] In 2024, a Brazilian federal court annulled corruption convictions related to the Rio selection, ruling that the judge who had issued the convictions lacked legal competence in the case.[8]

IOC elections and membership

edit

On 9 October 2009, Jacques Rogge was re-elected as IOC president for a final four-year term.[9] He was the only candidate and was re-elected by a vote of 88-1, with three abstentions.[10]

The session also elected Mario Pescante and Ng Ser Miang as IOC vice-presidents, and Craig Reedie and John Coates to the IOC Executive Board. Six new IOC members were elected: Richard Peterkin, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Habu Ahmed Gumel, Habib Abdul Nabi Macki, Lydia Nsekera, and Göran Petersson.[10]

New sports

edit

The Session decided to add Rugby Sevens and Golf to the Rio 2016 program.[11] The tally for rugby was 81 in favor, with 8 against,[12] and golf was approved 63–26.[13] Neither sport is new to the Olympics — rugby was last featured at the Olympics in 1924, and golf in 1904.

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. 1 2 3 4 Copenhagen elected as host city for the 13th Olympic Congress in 2009, Turin, Italy: International Olympic Committee, 8 February 2006, retrieved 18 February 2009
  2. "Programme for the 121st IOC Session and XIII Olympic Congress" (Press release). National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark. 28 August 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  3. Suarez, Ray (2 October 2009). "Chicago Loses Out On Olympics as Games Head for Rio". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. Kelner, Martha (5 September 2017). "Rio Games vote-winner questioned by police over 'rigged bidding process'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  5. "Brazil Olympic chief brokered $2 million bribe to buy Rio Games - police". www.reuters.com. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  6. "Former Rio de Janeiro governor tells judge he paid $2 million bribe to host 2016 Olympics".
  7. Ingle, Sean (5 July 2019). "IOC investigates allegations of bribery over Rio's 2016 Olympic bid". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  8. "Brazil's court annuls Nuzman, Cabral sentence over Rio 2016 corruption". www.reuters.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Jacques Rogge re-elected as International Olympic Committee president". The Guardian. 9 October 2009. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 Imports, Archive (10 October 2009). "Jacques Rogge re-elected as IOC president". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  11. "121st IOC Session: some much awaited decisions" Archived 2015-05-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. "History of Rugby in the Olympics" Archived 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. "Golf receives final approval, will be part of 2016 Olympics".
edit