Rio 2016 Olympics - Schedule, Medals, Results & News More info The Rio 2016 emblem is inspired by the organisers’ vision, which is: “All Brazilians uniting to deliver the greatest festival on earth and proudly advancing our national promise of progress.” It has, as its essence, the concepts of passion and transformation, which both reflect modern-day Brazil. This positioning is supported by four pillars – harmonious diversity, contagious energy, exuberant nature, and the Olympic spirit. These have all been masterfully combined to give Rio 2016 its colourful identity. This emblem is not only a symbol of Rio’s and Brazil’s hopes for these Games but also for the future of the city and country. IOC On the obverse, Nike, goddess of victory, flies into the Panathinaikos stadium bringing triumph to the best athlete. For these Games, her figure is accompanied by the specific inscription: “XXXI Olympiada Rio 2016”. The reverse features laurel leaves – a symbol of victory in the ancient Greece, in the form of the wreaths awarded to competition winners. They are surrounding the Rio 2016 Olympics logo.

Bearing a design that celebrates the relationship between the strengths of Olympic heroes and the forces of nature, the 500g gold, silver and bronze medals have been made with sustainability at their heart. The silver and bronze medals have been produced using 30 per cent recycled materials while the ribbons are made from 50 per cent recycled PET. Meanwhile, the gold medals are completely free of mercury. The gold medals are purer than ever, meeting sustainability criteria from extraction to refining, as well as meeting strict environmental and labour laws. They make use of recycled raw silver at 92.5 per cent purity, coming from leftover mirrors, waste solders and X-ray plates. And 40 per cent of the copper used in the bronze medals came from waste at the Mint itself. The substance was melted and decontaminated to provide material for the medals. Number of medals: 812 gold, 812 silver and 864 bronze. Weight: 500g Mint: Brazilian Mint The city of Rio de Janeiro hosted the Games of the XXXI Olympiad.

This followed three rounds of voting by members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 2 October 2009 at the 121st IOC Session, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rio 2016 Alex Ferro Seven cities were initially proposed by their National Olympic Committees to host the 2016 Games: Chicago (USA), Prague (CZE), Tokyo (JPN), Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Baku (AZE), Doha (QAT) and Madrid (ESP). On 4 June 2008, the IOC Executive Board selected four cities to enter the Candidate City phase of the bid process. Listed in the official order of drawing of lots, these cities were: Chicago (USA) Rio de Janeiro (BRA) Madrid (ESP) During the vote on 2 October 2009, Rio de Janeiro eventually triumphed by taking 66 votes compared to Madrid's 32. This gave Rio the majority that it needed to be elected as the host city for the 2016 Games. Rio had to overcome stiff competition, however, in the form of Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid in order to get the Games.

21st IOC Session, 2 October 2009, Copenhagen: Election of the Host City of the XXXI Games of the Olympiad Rounds 2016 Summer Olympics: Pictures, Videos, Breaking News Brazil Back To Its Crisis: Rousseff's Impeachment Trial To Follow Successful Rio Olympics In the end, most Brazilians saw the Rio Olympics as a waste of money well worth it for bringing the country a measure of hope and joy -- none greater than winning the first gold medal in man's soccer to complete the nation's unsurpassed record of achievement in the world's most popular sport. 2016 Summer Olympics Participating Countries, Rio De Janeiro in Brazil 2016 Summer Olympics Participating Countries Disclaimer Close Disclaimer : All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited,its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same. | Paralympics Participating Countries Following claims that Russia operates a state-sponsored doping program, the nation’s track-and-field athletes were initially banned from the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had ruled out the possibility of overturning the suspension of Russia, and a few Russian athletes had been offered the leverage of competing as neutrals at the 2016 Rio Games. After having found evidence of Russian urine samples “altered” across multiple summer and winter Olympic sports from 2011 to August 2015, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had imposed a ban on all Russian competitors for the Rio Games 2016. Later, the IOC declined to issue a comprehensive ban on Russian athletes. The Committee had deferred decisions on the eligibility of Russian athletes to the international federations (IFs) which are responsible for governing each sport that would be featured in Rio 2016 Olympic Games. As per the latest announcement by IOC president Thomas Bach, the committee has set strict criteria which every Russian athlete must meet/fulfill if he/she intends to participate at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Games In Numbers 205 Countries have qualified at least one athlete.

Two Independent Teams: 10 Refugee Olympic Athletes and one Independent Olympic Athletes Athletes Participating: 11,178 Confirmed Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony ‎: ‎Friday, August 5 One of the biggest sporting events, the 2016 Summer Olympics got off to a fabulous start on August 5 in Rio da Janeiro in Brazil. As in the previous events, this year too a large number of countries are participating in the event. It has been estimated that more than 11,178 athletes and 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are taking part in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Kosovo and South Sudan are participating for the first time. As of August 5, 2016, 205 National Olympic Committees have already qualified at least one athlete for the games. One Independent Olympian has also qualified. The IOC finalized for a specific team of Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA), 10 have been chosen to form the team. Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands were the first three countries which qualified athletes for the Games.

By winning medals in the team event at the FEI World Equestrian Games held in 2014, these countries qualified four athletes each for the team dressage. Furthermore, this is the first time when the IOC is allowing refugees to compete under the Olympic Flag as Independent Olympians. The Summer Olympic Games began on August 5 and would be held till August 21, 2016, in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. 206 countries are competing in Summer Olympics 2016. South Sudan and Kosovo are participating in the event for the first time. Countries Participating in 2016 Rio Summer Olympics Participating Country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4 2016 Rio Paralympics Participating Countries The Games In Numbers 165 Countries have qualified at least one athlete. Athletes Participating: 2882 Confirmed Paralympics Dates - 7 September to 18 September 2016 Paralympics Participating Countries USA earns third straight gold in basketball Team USA defeated team Serbia to win its third straight basketball gold medal in Men’s Basketball tournament.

The winning team’s coach Mike Krzyzewski was utmost delighted with his team’s victory on the final day of Rio 2016 Olympic Games. USA won by a 19-15 lead and this is their 25th straight victory at the Olympic Games in addition to the 15th straight victory in the basketball tournament. Mo Farah wins 5000 m gold; Caster Semenya wins gold in women's 800m Mo Farah of Great Britain has bagged the gold by winning the 5000 meters final and completed the double double. According to media reports, with this victory Farah has become the second man in the history of Olympics to be able to successfully defend his 5000 and 10000 Olympic championships. His victory is being hailed on Twitter with some calling him the greatest long distance runner of all time. Meanwhile, the silver medal has gone to Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo and Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia has bagged the bronze. In the women's event, Caster Semenya of South Africa won the Olympic gold in the 800m.

She won in one minute 55.28 seconds. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi won the silver medal and Kenya's Margaret Nyairera Wambui bagged the bronze. Chen Long Earns Gold in Men's Badminton in Olympics 2016 Chen Long of China has taken gold medal in the Rio Olympics 2016 after defeating Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who has won a silver in men’s badminton today. Lee was facing pressure not to lose the match. He beat Lin Dan of China in the semi-final. Lee and Lin, both are considered to be the best players of their time. With Lee’s defeat, Malaysia has missed out the chance of getting an Olympic gold medal.﻿ Italy Reaches Rio 2016 Men's Volleyball Final Italy came up with a win and is heading to men's volleyball final against Brazil, after defeating USA. The US men's volleyball team tried all their survival skills, but could not stand in front of Italy. The winning team's thriller was 30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9.

After it was over, US coach John Speraw said that the team was not skilled enough and they did not execute on some of the opportunities, which Italy flawlessly did﻿ French boxer Mossely wins gold on her birthday French boxer Estelle Mossely celebrated her 24th birthday by winning a gold medal in Women’s lightweight boxing championship. She defeated China’s Yin Junhua after the end of four rounds that had the two defending champions leveled on the scorecards of three judges. The bronze medals were earned by Mira Potkonen of Finland and Anastasia Beliakova of Russia. Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020 Countdown to Tokyo 2020 When is the Opening Ceremony? The Tokyo Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony will be on Friday, July 24, 2020 in Tokyo’s rebuilt National Olympic Stadium. At the games, athletes will compete in sports like swimming, athletics, gymnastics, various martial arts, ball sports, weightlifting, and wrestling. When is the Closing Ceremony? The Olympics will conclude with a closing ceremony on Sunday, August 9, 2020.

Slogan: “Discover Tomorrow” The official name for the games is the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the motto is “Discover Tomorrow”. There are no public holidays in Japan during the games. Every 4 Years Before The Olympic Games are a global multi-sporting event subdivided into summer and winter games. Previously, the summer and winter games were in the same year, with a 4-year gap between the games. Every 2 Years Now In 1992, the schedule changed, and these days the winter and summer games alternate every 2 years. The last Summer Olympic Games were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 . The last winter games were in Sochi, Russia in 2014 . 2018 Winter Games The next winter games will be in Pyeongchang, South Korea from February 9 to 25, 2018. Modern Olympic History On June 23, 1894, Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the University of Sorbonne in Paris , France. In 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens .

BBC SPORT | Olympics | Rio to stage 2016 Olympic Games Rio to stage 2016 Olympic Games IOC president Jacques Rogge announces the winner - Copyright IOC 2009 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.

Obama's wish for better 2016 news Speaking to reporters at the White House on his return, Mr Obama said he wished he had come back with better news, but congratulated Brazil for a "truly historic" win. "As friends to the Brazilian people, we welcome this extraordinary sign of progress," he said. The president said he had no doubt that Chicago's bid had been the strongest possible, could not be prouder of the city, and insisted that he had no regrets about travelling to Denmark. "I believe it is always a worthwhile endeavour to promote and boost the United States of America," he added. 'Heart and soul' Chicago received only 18 of the 94 votes available in the first round poll of IOC delegates at the Bella Convention Centre on Friday afternoon. Madrid came out top with 28, followed by Rio on 26. I confess to you if I die right now my life would have been worth it Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Brazilian President In the second round, however, Rio almost secured the absolute majority needed to win outright, with 46 of the 95 votes cast. Madrid came a distant second with 29, while Tokyo was eliminated after receiving 20.

The final ballot saw Rio win by a comprehensive margin of 66 votes to 32. More than an hour later, IOC president Jacques Rogge finally revealed the result to the world: "Like in every competition there can only be one winner. "Tonight, I have the honour to announce that the Games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of Rio de Janeiro." The Brazilian bid team leapt to their feet in celebration, began singing their "Marvellous City" song, waving flags and hugging each other. A tearful President Lula told reporters afterwards: "The other countries made proposals. We presented a heart and a soul. 606: DEBATE MUQ "I confess to you if I die right now my life would have been worth it." The BBC's Gary Duffy in Rio said there was "absolute, unrestrained joy" on the city's famous Copacabana beach after the result was announced, with silver glitter flying through the air and tens of thousands of people singing. The golden sand disappeared under a sea of green and yellow, the colours of Brazil, our correspondent said.

There have been questions about Rio's bid not the least the high level of violence which so often scars the city's image, but in one glorious moment that was all set to one side for a truly Brazilian party, he added. A promotional video which aims to boost Rio's bid - copyright IOC 2009 In his speech to the IOC earlier, President Lula had promised: "Rio will deliver an unforgettable Games. You will see for yourselves the passion, the energy and the creativity of the Brazilian people. "It will not be just Brazil's Games but South America's. It will serve to inspire the 180 million young people on the continent. It is time to redress the balance. It is time to light the Olympic flame in a tropical country." Rogge said Rio had presented the IOC "with a very strong technical bid, built upon a vision of the Games being a celebration of the athletes and sport, as well as providing the opportunity for the city, region and country to deliver their broader long-term aspirations for the future".

RIO FACTS Candidates for 2016 Olympics "This call to 'live your passion' clearly struck a chord with my fellow members, and we now look forward to seeing Rio de Janeiro staging the first Olympic Games on the continent of South America," he said. Rio plans to stage all the competitions inside the city, bringing "dynamics to the Games and facilitating the athletes' interaction", according to the bid website. There will be seven competition centres in four Olympic regions - Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro, and Maracana - with football matches held in the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and Sao Paulo. Its bid is divided into a $2.8bn (£1.92bn) budget for operating costs, and $14.4bn (£9.90bn) for construction and security. 'Nearly there' Madrid's surprising success in reaching the final round came after former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch made an emotional appeal. Shock in Madrid as it fails in its bid to host the 2016 Olympics "I know that I am very near the end of my time. I am, as you know 89 years old.

May I ask you to consider granting my country the honour and also the duty to organise the games in 2016," he said. However, a win for Madrid would have made it three European-based Olympics in a row, with London 2012 and Sochi 2014 preceding it. After the result, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Madrid could leave Copenhagen with "dignity" and did not rule out another bid. "We were nearly there, but Rio won," he told Spanish reporters. "Now is not the moment to talk about 2020. Madrid is always a strong candidate, but it depends on the city, not me." Adam Brookes, BBC News, Chicago The shock of Chicago's elimination was greater for the fact that it came in the first round. And greater for the fact that President Obama had taken valuable hours from his packed and tense political schedule to travel to Copenhagen. His legendary powers of persuasion will be said to have failed him, though in reality it will be Chicago's bid that failed him. Nonetheless, this is a moment which allows the president's detractors to allege waning prestige on the part of his presidency.

And it will raise questions about the political advice that he is receiving. Mark Mardell's America: The boundaries of Brand Obama The BBC's Steve Kingstone in the Spanish capital said Madrilenos were leaving the square in front of the royal palace, where they watched events in Copenhagen, with a sense of pride. In the lead-up to the decision, King Juan Carlos had called the Olympics "Madrid's unfulfilled dream of hope", and for now at least that is what the games remain. Tokyo's bid team were said to have been shocked and stunned after their elimination in the second round, as they had felt their focus on the environment and youth would impress IOC delegates. "It was really disappointing for us and for the children but this is not the end. We want to carry this on to the next chance," said marathon runner Yuko Arimori. In Chicago, which had also believed it would be a finalist, thousands stood in silence in the city centre after it became the first to be eliminated. "We fought a good fight and I am very proud of the team and the campaign. I have no idea why we went out so early. The IOC members will have to ask themselves that question," said Chicago bid chief Pat Ryan.

Bookmark with: Rio de Janeiro 2016 | Olympics Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games of the XXXI Olympiad Host city October 2, 2009, in Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark. City Edit Barra da Tijuca will host most of the venues of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016. The rest will be located in three other zones: Copacabana Beach, Maracanã and Deodoro; Barra da Tijuca will also house the Olympic Village. Otherwise, the Rio's historical downtown is envolved in a large-scale urban waterfront revitalization project called Porto Maravilha . It covers a five million square meters area centrally located. The project aims to redevelop the port area increasing the city center attractiveness as a whole and enhances Rio’s competitiveness position in the global economy.

The urban renovation involves: 700 km of public networks for water supply, sanitation, drainage, electricity, gas and telecom; 4 km of tunnels; 70 km of roads; 650 km² of sidewalks; 17 km of bike path; 15.000 trees; 3 plants for sanitation treatment Besides the Maracanã Stadium and Engenhão, the football matches will also take place in Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova), São Paulo (Arena de São Paulo), Belo Horizonte (Estádio Mineirão) and Brasília (Estádio Nacional de Brasília). All these stadiums will also be used in the FIFA World Cup 2014 except by the Morumbi Stadium which will be replaced by Arena de São Paulo Stadium. Preparations Edit Renovations of the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí were completed in February 2012. [1] In March 2012 Rio 2016 selected the winning design for its golf course.

[2] The Brazilian government will be investing $17 billion in funding for mass transit infrastructure that will help in the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. [3] The Rio 2016 Coordination Commission most recently visited the city in June 2012. [4] On June 26th, 2011 it was reported on AroundTheRings.com that Roderlei Generali, the COO of the Rio De Janeiro Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, resigned just one year after taking the job at ROOC. This comes just five months after CCO Flavio Pestana quit for personal reasons. [5] Sports Edit 2016 Summer Olympic program is scheduled to feature 28 sports and a total of 38 disciplines. There were two open spots for sports and initially seven sports began the bidding for inclusion in the 2016 program. Baseball and softball, which were dropped from the program in 2005, karate, squash, golf, wake boarding, roller sports, and rugby union all applied to be included.

Leaders of the seven sports held presentations in front of the IOC executive board in June 2009. [6] In August, the executive board initially gave its approval to rugby sevens—a seven-man version of rugby union—by a majority vote, thus removing baseball, roller sports, and squash from contention. Among the remaining three—golf, karate, and softball—the board approved golf as a result of consultation. A decision regarding the remaining two sports was made on October 9, 2009, the final day of the 121st IOC Session at which Rio de Janeiro was named as host. A new system was in place at this Session; a sport now needs only a simple majority from the full IOC for approval rather than the two-thirds majority previously required. [7] On October 9, 2009 the IOC voted to include rugby sevens and golf on the program for the Games in Rio. The other 26 sports were also confirmed with a large majority of the votes.

[8] International Golf Federation executive director Antony Scanlon told Olympic news outlet Around the Rings that the top players, including Tiger Woods and Annika Sörenstam, would show their continued support of golf's Olympic involvement by participating in the events. In August 2011, President of the 2016 Olympic Committee, Carlos Nuzman, backed Sepp Blatter's request to include beach soccer in the 2016 games. [9] [10] In May 2012, the International Sailing Federation announced that windsurfing would be removed from the 2016 Olympic sailing programme and replaced by kitesurfing. [11] In the Paralympics, triathlon will be held as a para-sport for the first time. Logo Edit The Rio 2016 symbol resembles five figures – red, black, yellow, green and blue – embraced at the arms and in a triple hug representing the Sugarloaf Mountain. The logo was designed based on four pillars: contagious energy, harmonious diversity, exuberant nature and Olympic spirit. The logo was designed by Rio agency Tatil in a race involving 139 agencies.

[12] According to IOC President Jacques Rogge , the logo really reflects the vision of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil for these Games. The logo has been noted as evoking Henri Matisse's painting Dance, in addition to its use of colours found in Brazilian flag. The emblem was unveiled at 10 pm on December 31, 2010, during the Réveillon party in the Copacabana Beach. Broadcasting Edit On June 11, 2010, the federal government launched a program to protect the tenders for work in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games against the possibility of fraud. The plan, known as Jogando Limpo (Fair Playing or Playing It Clean), includes a series of guidelines and nuggets of advice so that the government institutions, and also the tax authorities and common citizens themselves, may identify and denounce attempts at fraud against the tenders. The program, which was launched by the Ministries for Justice and for Sport, also plans the establishment of a group dedicating to monitoring tenders, to protect them against the threat of fraud and also to avoid delays in construction work.

This initiative, also boosted by the General Financial Controller of the Union (Controladoria Geral da União), also plans a campaign to make the people aware of the need to pay attention to possible fraud and to always denounce the cases. The program emphasizes measures against cartels and possible agreements between competing companies to set prices above market levels, in an attempt to raise the value of the contracts with the state. "Nothing can be worse than someone taking advantage of these two great opportunities to commit crimes. This is a world phenomenon," said the Minister for Justice, Luiz Paulo Barreto, during the ceremony to launch the program. "The businesspeople could be entering with an agreement on prices, in order to compete in these tenders. This is something that needs to be tackled. We need to promote fair play also in our tenders," Barreto added. "Fair play is something we would expect from a country intending to host events of this size," he added. Barreto also said that, between 2007 and 2010, there were a total of 265 search and seizure warrants issued in Brazil to tackle the crime of cartel formation.

In the same period over 100 people were preventively arrested for the same crime, and currently an additional 251 people are being investigated. [35] Security Edit Since the award of the 2016 Olympics to Rio de Janeiro, the city's crime problems have received more attention. A police helicopter was shot down over a favela during one of the city's many drug wars, and the pilot was killed in the incident. [36] Rio's mayor has admitted that there are "big issues" facing the city in securing the games from violence, however, he also states that such concerns and issues were presented to the IOC throughout the bidding process. [37] The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro also highlighted the fact that London faced security problems with a terrorist attack occurring on the day following the IOC session that chose the city to host the 2012 Olympic Games . The IOC, however, has expressed optimism with allowing the city and the nation of Brazil to address these concerns. [38] Seven years is enough time for Rio de Janeiro to clean up its crime problem the IOC says.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams told The Associated Press "we have confidence in their capacity to deliver a safe Games in seven years." "Security is of course a very important aspect of any Olympic Games no matter where it is in the world. This is of course entirely under the national, regional and city authorities." [39] [40] [41] Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, has noted that the city has hosted other high-profile events without major incident, for example the 2007 Pan American Games. [42] Rio de Janeiro is planning to pacify local neighbourhoods or favelas. Community-based Police Pacification Units (UPPs) will be used to combine trust-building in individual communities, through the use of street patrols and civic work. [43] Moreover, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, homicides have fallen to the lowest level since 1991, indicating the success of Brazil's "pacification" project implemented for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

[44] The Regional Institute of Public Safety reported that the homicide rate of Rio de Janeiro for the first five months of 2012 was at its lowest in the past 21 years, with 10.9 homicides for every 100,000 habitants. [44] [45] Nonetheless, despite the decline in homicides and human rights abuses, the Human Rights Watch urged Brazil to investigate extrajudicial killings. [46] Notes Should the 2016 Olympics Be Canceled Because of Zika? - Condé Nast Traveler Should the 2016 Olympics Be Canceled Because of Zika? Brazil faces the question it doesn't want to hear. This article has been updated with new information. Despite noting that the World Health Organization is increasingly concerned about the Zika virus, WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan maintained that there is no reason the 2016 Summer Olympics—which are expected to draw an anticipated 500,000 people to Brazil—should be moved, canceled, or postponed from Rio de Janeiro .

"The more we learn about Zika, the more worried we get about it," said Chan at the World Health Assembly, adding that she herself would be attending the games . "But you don't want to bring a standstill to the world's movement of people. This is all about risk assessment and risk management." But according to new survey data from Allianz Global Assistance , a travel insurance provider, Americans are thinking about the Olympics a little differently than Dr. Chan. Nearly half of Americans surveyed (49 percent) think that the Rio Olympics should in fact be delayed or canceled because of the virus. The survey also found that 71 percent of Americans are not interested in traveling to Rio or Brazil, with 82 percent saying that Zika has some impact on whether they take the trip: 42 percent would definitely not go because of the virus, 23 percent are less interested in going, and only 18 percent would go, but would be worried about Zika during their travels. The virus, which has now spread to 60 countries and can also be transmitted through sex, was in February declared a global health emergency.

In April, the Centers for Disease Control determined that despite earlier theories, the virus does, indeed, cause microcephaly and other birth defects . Experts concerned about the Olympics and calling for their delay or cancellation have said the influx of people in Brazil could potentially accelerate the virus's spread around the world, and spark even more outbreaks. Brazil, for its part, has refused to entertain the possibility. The original post continues below. 2/4/2016: In recent months, the Zika virus has spread rapidly and explosively, leading to travel alerts for more than 20 countries and territories , confirmation that the virus can be spread sexually , and the World Health Organization’s classification of the virus—and its associated health risks—as a global health emergency . Throughout it all, Brazil, a country at the epicenter of the virus, has wrestled with clumsy vaccine testing and overrun hospitals, battled public perception, and faced the inevitable, tough-to-avoid question it doesn't want to even consider: Should the 2016 Summer Olympics be canceled? In the midst of economic struggles and claims of a corrupt government, the Olympics, slated to begin in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, were expected to give a much-needed lift to the country.

Hoping to attract more Olympic-goers (and to entice travelers to spend more time in Brazil) the government even temporarily waived visa requirements for travelers in the country from June 1 through September 18. Yet the Zika virus—and the fear of it—quickly spread, leading to a price drop in fares to the South American nation and a rise in the number of questions. Both Brazilian and foreign athletes expected to compete at the games have voiced their concerns. Kipchoge Keino, the head of Kenya's Olympics committee, said the country wouldn't risk sending its athletes to Brazil if the virus reaches "epidemic levels." The Brazilian government has remained steadfast in its assurance that the virus will not affect the Olympics, which will cost them more than $13 billion . Federal troops are spraying for mosquitos across the country, officials are reportedly performing daily inspections of Olympic facilities, and neighborhood health inspectors have been tasked with identifying—and eliminating—standing bodies of water where the mosquitoes are known to breed. Given recent confirmation that the virus can spread through sex, health officials say condoms will be available at Carnival venues and health outposts around the city. Yet despite World Health Organization chief Dr.

Margaret Chan noting that the agency is increasingly concerned about the virus, the possibility of cancellation has been met with almost uniform dismissal. "This has never been mentioned. No way," said Rio spokesman Mario Andrada earlier this year. "It's impossible to do that. There is no reason to do that." Recently impeached Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s former chief of staff, Jaques Wagner, has been as resolute in the past. "We have to explain to those coming to Brazil, the athletes, that there is zero risk if you are not a pregnant women," he told reporters. But Brazil has also been criticized for its lack of transparency, and for not sharing significant samples and data to determine whether the virus is responsible for the increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly , a rare neurological condition. The lack of information, U.N. and U.S. health officials say, has hindered efforts to provide diagnostic testing, and hampered the development of drugs and vaccines. Residents of the 66 percent of Rio homes whose sewage goes currently untreated have also said they are not hopeful that preventative measures are actually being implemented—or will even work.

Community organizer José Martins, from the low-income area of Rocinha, which has some 100,000 people, said he has seen no measures from health officials to do what they said they would—e.g. eliminate standing water and open sewage. "For decades, we have been advocating for improvements in sanitation as the number one priority for public investments here, while the government has insisted on flashier interventions that do not save money on healthcare costs down the line,” he said . Thus far, the International Olympic Committee has echoed Brazil’s sentiment. Committee president Thomas Bach said he is “very confident” in the steps taken to address the outbreak. In the unlikely event the IOC should decide to cancel the Olympics, it would be the sixth time in history the Games have been scrapped, and the only time in history they’ve been changed because of health reasons—previous dates in 1916 (Berlin), 1940 (Tokyo and Sapporo), and 1944 (London and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy) were all canned because of international wars.

Regardless of whether or not Brazil will actually move forward with the Olympics, travel to the country will no doubt be affected: According to data from the World Bank, countries where the virus has been confirmed or where it is expected to spread—the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and parts of South America—are at risk of losing some $63.9 billion in international tourism . Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com , a trip insurance comparison website, told Condé Nast Traveler he's seen a significant increase in traffic this past week, and adds that the site has been fielding customer inquiries about the virus primarily as it relates to trip cancellation coverage. "We've been seeing a large number of first-time travel insurance buyers who might not have considered it in the past," says Sandberg.

Travelers have seen a rush of flexibility in the wake of the virus, and several major airlines and cruise lines have all offered fee-waived cancellations and alterations : Lufthansa said pregnant passengers and their companions can rebook a flight to any of the affected countries free of charge; United Airlines has a similar policy, offering passengers "who are traveling to the affected regions the opportunity to rebook at a later date or receive a full refund." Video Highlights SPORTS INSIDE | 16 facts about the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro 16 facts about the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro November 15, 2015 On the 5th of August 2016, the Summer Olympic Games 2016 will start. SPORTS INSIDE presents 16 facts about Rio 2016: 1. The Summer Olympic Games 2016 will take place from 5th to 21st August in Rio de Janeiro 2. The opening and the closing ceremony will take place in the Maracanã Stadium 3. It will be the first Olympic Games ever held in South America 4.

Up until today, the Summer Olympics have been held 27 times (6 editions in North America, 16 in Europe, 3 in Asia and 2 in Oceania) 5. The first Olympic Games (Olympic Games of the antiquity) were held in 776 in Olympia (Greek) and the first Olympic Games of the modern era in 1896 in Athens (Greek) 6. 10,500 athletes from 205 different countries will take part in the Summer Olympics 2016 7. 306 competitions in 42 different sports will be held in 17 days 8. Golf (returning after 112 years) and Rugby (returning after 92 years) will be the “new” sports of the Olympic Games 9. There will be 33 different venues in four different districts of Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana, Barra de Tijuca, Deodoro and Maracanã) 10.

A few of the football competitions will not only be held in Rio de Janeiro, they will be hosted by Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Salvador and São Paulo 11. 7.5 million tickets are available and are already up for sale 12. Ticket prices range from 40 Brazilian Real (10.89 Euro) to 4,600 Brazilian Real (1,252 Euro) 13. The total costs of the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro will mount up to 37.6 billion Brazilian Real (10.24 billion Euro): 24.1 billion Real (6.56 billion Euro) for the infrastructure of the city, 6.5 billion Real (1.77 billion Euro) for sports facilities and 7 billion Real (1.91 billion Euro) for the operation and organization of the event 14. Until 2016, there will be 45 events held to test the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016 15.

In 2016, there will be 8,000 employees, 85,000 third party employees and 45,000 volunteers working for the Olympic Committee Rio 2016 16. The slogan of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro is Viva sua paixão (Live your passion)

Question: The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in which country?
Answer: Brazil