Rio de Janeiro
On the first Friday in October you could hear the roar of people cheering in the streets echoing up and down the stairwell of my apartment building. Even here in the more sedate Ipanema section of Rio the explosion of celebration in front of the massive stage that had been set up on the beach carried all the way from several miles away in Copacabana. White posters could be seen everywhere that read “I Knew It!” in the four languages of the final four cities that had bid for the 2016 Olympics–symbolizing the confidence that residents of this Brazilian city had in their being the site selected for the games.
All local pride and determination aside, timing certainly played a key role in the decision. Rio was in the proverbial right place at the right time. Brazil has enjoyed unheard of economic growth over the last few years, the country in general and Rio in particular have suffered less than most other major world cities in the global recession, and several major modernization programs stand to transform Brazil from a regional power into a global powerhouse.
