Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro were picked by the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday as the four final contenders for hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics, according to dpa. Prague, Baku and Doha were left out of the race of the seven cities which had applied for the event. The final choice will be made next year. If successful Rio, which hosted successful 2007 Pan American Games, would be the first South American city to get the Olympics, which would come two years after Brazil hosts the 2014 football World Cup. Madrid is back again after losing 2012 vote to London, but even if it makes the cut its chances are slim, because the IOC will most likely not award the Summer Games to Europe again after London in 2012. Geo-political considerations should work in favour of Chicago and Tokyo when the IOC elects the host city at its 2009 Session in Copenhagen. Chicago is pressing hard to bring back the Summer Games to the United States for the first time since Atlanta 1996. Tokyo, which held the Games in 1964, is eager to bring the Olympics to Asia eight years after Beijing.
