Rio Olympic Games

The 2016 Summer Olympics have been awarded to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, over Chicago in the United States, Tokyo in Japan, and Madrid in Spain. Many viewed Rio as the favorite to become the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, since the Olympics have never been held in South America; Rio is also a cosmopolitan city host to many cultural events such as the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", a yearly celebration of culture where people wear costumes and have a massive block party. It also helps that Brazil is emerging as a world power, economically and politically, which certainly helped Rio's cause in the race to be the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. But was Rio De Janeiro a good choice? There are reasons why it was, and a few good reasons why it probably will be risky. But all in all, since South America has never played host to the Olympics, it probably was time for them to join the party.

With an ethnically diverse population of over 6 million inhabitants, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil's second largest city, only to Sao Paulo. Despite it being the second largest city, Rio is actually considered to be Brazil's cultural capital, since it is home to a multitude of museums such as the Quinta da Boa Vista, and libraries, and its buildings are heavily influenced by Portuguese, English, and French architecture. Rio is also home to the Brazilian Carnival, or "Carnaval", an annual showcase of costumes and Brazilian music and dance that draws millions of visitors worldwide. In addition, the city is rich in athletic tradition, home to numerous football (soccer) teams, including Flamengo, one of the best-supported football (soccer) clubs in the world, according to FIFA. Brazil as a whole also boasts an impressive list of popular figures, including esteemed author Paulo Coelho, Pele, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Ronaldinho.

Detractors point out that Rio de Janeiro's serious problems with crime, drugs, and poverty are reasons why the Olympics could be a risky proposition. It is known as one the most dangerous cities in South America and the world, with a poor police force and drug lords that are known to rule the poor areas. Since the event draws spectators from all over the world, a strong police force would obviously be needed to prevent crimes that could become a problem. Of course, Rio has 7 years to rectify these problems, but relatively speaking, that's not a very large amount of time. Chicago, Tokyo, and Madrid, the three other cities bidding for the 2016 Olympic Games, are located in better-developed countries with much better infrastructure, which is why many are surprised Rio de Janeiro was awarded the games.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that despite its downfalls, the time has come for South America to host an Olympic Games. As one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, located in a country that is on its way to becoming an international power, Rio de Janeiro is certainly deserving of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games. However, there are quite a few people who are upset over the selection. If you feel the need to vent about it, check out the "Sports" section over at Ventnation.com - a new website that allows individuals to share their innermost, truest feelings about a variety of topics. No matter what your feelings are about Rio being awarded in 2016 Olympic Games, the truth is that it will be the chance for Brazil to showcase its progress to the world.


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The 2016 Summer time Olympics will be held in Rio de Janerio and is guaranteed to be a very lively event. The nation expects thousands of folks to attend this awesome and magnificent occasion ensuring that it really is as wonderful as all fiestas in Rio. With unbelievable scenery, an electric atmosphere and amazing sporting facilities, the 2016 Olympics is going to be an enormous success.



First Time in South America - Despite the fact that there were many other contenders for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro was selected for many reasons. This will be the very first time that the summer Olympics will be held in South America. Rio is an exhilarating city which has so many things to offer visitors from when they land, including the amazing beaches, stunning mountain ranges, and beautiful ocean.

Huge Investment - The investment that has been made into the 2016 Olympics in Rio is unreal, and will make certain that the rivals and spectators have the very best facilities. State of the art buildings has been developed and created to make sure that Rio makes a statement to the world. The theme that Rio chose for the Olympics is "Live your Passion" which sums up everything that Rio stands for. The entire city is behind the hosting of the games, and it's going to be a wonderful occasion.

It is Rio de Janeiro (nuff mentioned) - Rio is considered the cultural center of Brazil, as a result, being the ideal location to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The background that surrounds the city is remarkable along with the 4 zones that can predominantly host the events are going to benefit an excellent deal. Barra, Copacabana, Maracana, and Deodoro will be employed for diverse occasions. Every single one of these locations brings something distinct to the table and ensures that the Olympics will be as good as advertised.

Copacabana Beach - The worldwide known Copacabana Beach is exactly where numerous of the outside sports will be hosted in short-term buildings. The 4km stretch of golden sand is well known to both locals and tourists and is the place where a large number of individuals gathered to hear the decision if Rio had won the bid to host the Olympics. Along the beautiful stretch of the beach, you can find a huge number of hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes, which makes it the perfect spot for spectators.

Barra da Tijuca - Barra is the place where the bulk of the games will take place and in which the Olympic and the Media villages will be located. The possibilities, which this development will bring to this region of Rio is staggering, and will allow the men and women of the city to get involved. The powerful development promises and assured funding aided Rio in attaining their goal of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Rio has a wonderful reputation for being a city full of life and parties and the organizers are hoping that the vibrant feeling continues throughout the Olympic Games. In case you are going to the city just for the 2016 Summer time Olympics, you are going to need to see every little thing city has to offer. You will have the trip of a lifetime and will be able to brag that you were in Rio for the Olympics.


Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6548989

Did You Know?

Rio de Janeiro's name literally means 'the river of January'. It was named so because its European discoverers entered the region on January 1, 1502. Rio is located on the shore of a bay, and the bay was incorrectly named as the 'river' of January, a name that was passed on when the adjacent city was constructed.

Rio! Copacabana! Carnival! Who hasn't heard of the almost mythical splendor of Rio de Janeiro? It's one of the most venerated travel destinations in the world, and tops most travel wishlists. Its terrific beaches and stunning views, including the statue of Christ the Redeemer, attract millions from all over the world. During the world-famous Carnival, the influx reaches truly enormous proportions.

Aside from the commercialized tourist spots, though, Rio is one of the most important sporting cities in the world. It is a major player in the Brazilian soccer league, and its stadium, the Maracana, has hosted one FIFA World Cup Final, and is due to host another in 2014. It also used to host F1 and MotoGP races. In 2016, Rio will be the center of the whole world's attention once again, as it hosts the biggest gala of the year: The Summer Olympics.

Rio de Janeiro has a bit of a history with the Olympics, as it unsuccessfully contested to be awarded the 1936, 2004, and 2012 Olympics, which went to Berlin, Athens, and London, respectively. Fourth time lucky, the world will be waiting with bated breath to see what it can pull out of its hat. Many, though, will be looking to get a move on and trying hard for a chance to see this mesmerizing event live. If you are one of the latter, this is just the guide you were looking for!

Witnessing the 2016 Rio Olympics Live

Here are some handy tips on establishing your base in one of the largest, most populous, and most popular cities in the world.

Being Prepared

Online facilities for booking tickets for major sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics usually begin about 12-18 months ahead. Think of it in terms of a simple rule of thumb:

Start preparing for the coming Summer Olympics when the preceding Winter Olympic games get going.

It is said that the Olympic flame has to be extinguished in one city before it moves on to another, and this could not be more accurate in terms of travel and ticket reservation.

► No official info about the pricing of the tickets has been released, except that they will average around USD 36. It's claimed that some events will cost as much as just USD 20. Though this is the quasi-official consensus, the overall uncertainty and political power plays around the Olympics Games could result in the prices being hiked at the last minute. There's no way of being certain unless the official figures are released, which is expected to happen sometime after the culmination of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Keep checking this space for details about the tickets as and when they are revealed.

Accommodation

► Let's just get this out of the way, sporting extravaganzas like the Olympics don't come cheap. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the city to flaunt all it can to an adoring and expectant global audience. Expect to be charged at a premium rate for Every. Single. Thing.

► Tourists from all over the world are expected to flock to this megacity in their millions. Commercial avenues always make the most of any such infrequent boosts, and one of the biggest events in the modern world is no exception. Packages for the Olympics begin at a bare minimum of USD 6,000 per week. And this does not include shopping, of course! Premium hotels, such as Fasano on Ipanema Beach, can charge more than USD 1,600 per night!

► Even the usual options of cutting down on the cost of accommodation, such as hostels, can cost more than USD 100 per night. If you are traveling alone, couchsurfing, which allows you to crash at a generous host you meet online, emerges as the best option. However, it's unlikely that you will be traveling to the Olympics alone, so you will probably need to open up the purse strings a bit, and just find a way to be okay with it.

► An excellent option of reducing the cost of food is munching on a lot of street food; street food in any country is much cheaper than established restaurants. It's natural to be a bit concerned about the hygiene, but if you see a large crowd at a particular establishment, it must be doing something right. Pick ones that are obviously favored by the locals, and instead of worrying excessively about the remote possibility of an upset stomach, just enjoy the delicious stuff!

► Another way of keeping the price down is focusing on the Olympics, and not turning the trip into a recreational vacation. By all means, explore Rio and the numerous tourist spots around it, but don't try to fit in an excursion into the Amazon rainforest into your itinerary. The fascinating Pantanal can be just as easily and much less expensively covered in a non-Olympics year.

Olympic Games - an international multi-sport event that hosts a variety of sports. It is one of the most important and immensely popular international events. Sports fans around the world wait for it. The Games are hosted in a different country every four years and every country awaits a chance to host them. Beijing hosted the event in 2008. In 2012, it was London. In 2016, it's Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Today's Olympic Games trace their roots to ancient Greek Olympics. In Ancient Greece, sports competitions were held as a means to please God Zeus. Over time, these games took an all new shape. They changed from amateur to professional and invited wide participation from many countries across the globe. Changing times added glamor to the event and brought commercialization to a considerable extent. Olympic Games had started small. Today, they are a big event the world awaits to witness. Olympic sports include the ones contested during Summer Olympics as also those contested during Winter Olympics. 

Summer Olympic Games include 26 sports with 39 disciplines. Winter Olympic Games comprise 7 sports with 15 disciplines. Each Olympic sport or discipline consists of a distinct number of events, which may vary.

 Rio Olympic Games : Summer Olympic Sports

Archery
It was introduced in the Summer Olympic Games in 1900. The International Archery Federation regulates this Olympic sport. After the London Olympics in 1908, archery was dropped from the Olympic sports list. In 1920, it was back. This sport consists of four events, namely, men's individual, men's team, women's individual and women's team.

Athletics
When the modern Olympic movement originated at the 1896 Summer Olympics, athletics became a part of the Summer Olympic Games. Several men's and women's athletic events have been a part of this sport. Athletics includes track and field, racewalking and road running events. 100 to 10,000-meter races, hurdle races, relay races, 20 and 50km walks, marathon races, long jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, decathlon, discus throw, javelin throw and hammer throw come under athletics.

Aquatics
This sport has been divided into four disciplines, namely, diving, swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. The International Swimming Federation regulates these disciplines.


Diving
It was first introduced in the 1904 Games of St. Louis and is a part of Summer Olympics since then. It was a male-dominated sport until 1912. Women divers participated for the first time in 1912. China was allowed to compete for the first time in 1984. Diving consists of Springboard, Platform, Synchronized Springboard and Synchronized Platform, for both men and women. Athletes dive from as high as 10m above water.

Swimming
It has always been a part of the modern Summer Olympics and has been among the most popular sports. It is also one among sports with the largest number of events. 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Backstroke (100m and 200m), 200m and 400m Individual Medley, 10km Marathon, 4x100m and 4x200m Freestyle Relay and 4x100m Medley Relay are among the men's events in swimming. Women's events comprise the same set, except for 800m Freestyle which is 1500m for men.

Synchronized Swimming
Included in the Summer Olympics since 1984, synchronized swimming is contested as a duet and team event. It includes women's team and women's duet events. It is among the two sports only contested by women. As the name suggests, this sport needs great coordination skills.

Water Polo
Since 1900, this sport has been a part of Summer Olympics. But, until 2000 it included only men. Women's Water Polo was introduced only in the 2000 Olympics at Sydney. Of the first five water polo tournaments in Olympics, four were won by Great Britain.

Badminton
It was introduced in the Summer Olympics during the 1992 Olympic Games at Barcelona where 4 badminton events comprising singles and doubles for men and women were held. The mixed doubles event was added in 1996. The Badminton World Federation is in charge of this Olympic sport. In badminton, China has been the most successful.

Basketball
Basketball was held as a demonstration sports event in 1904. Since 1936, it is a part of the Summer Olympic Games. The first tournament was held outdoors on a court made of sand. Men's basketball appeared in 1936, while women's event was introduced much later, which was in 1976. The United States' men's and women's teams have dominated the sport for long.

Boxing
Since 1904, boxing has been a part of the Summer Olympics. It was excluded from the 1912 Games held in Stockholm, Sweden, because Swedish law banned this sport. Till 2008, only men's boxing events were included. For the first time in 2012, women participated in the sport. Light Fly, Fly, Bantam, Light, Light Welter, Welter, Middle, Light Heavy, Heavy and Super Heavy are included in the men's boxing events while women's events include Fly, Light and Middle.

Canoeing
Paddling a canoe is known as canoeing. It is classified into two disciplines, flatwater and slalom. The two types of boats used in this sport are canoes with canoers or kayaks with 1, 2 or 4 kayakers. Men's events include Kayak Single (200m and 1000m), Kayak Double (200m and 1000m), Kayak Four (1000m), Canoe Single (200m and 1000m) and Canoe Double (1000m), while women's events include Kayak Single (200m and 500m), Kayak Double (500m) and Kayak Four (500m). The Canoe Sprint 200m race was introduced in the 2012 London Olympics.

Cycling
This Olympic sport is contested as a group of four disciplines, namely, BMX, mountain biking, road cycling and track cycling. Cycling is a part of the Summer Olympic games since 1896. That year, it was in the form of an 87km race. Road cycling was not a part of the 1900, 1904 and 1908 Olympic Games. It has returned to the Olympic sports list in 1912. Women have been participating in the sport since 1984. There are men's and women's events for each discipline of cycling. Road cycling comprises Individual Time Trial and Road Race for both men and women. Similarly, mountain biking and BMX have both men's and women's events.

Equestrian
It became a part of the Summer Olympics in 1900 and has been contested till date except for the 1912 Olympics when it was excluded. Dressage, Jumping and Eventing are the three disciplines of Equestrianism. It is one of the only two Olympic sports that involve animals. As a rule, the horses used for Dressage and Eventing should be at least 8 years old and those used for Jumping should be at least 9 years old. The three disciplines are divided into two categories, namely, Individual and Team.

Fencing
Ever since the modern Olympic movement began, fencing is a part of Summer Olympics. It is done with the help of one of these three weapons: a foil, an epee or a sabre. Fencing is contested in the form of individual and team events for men and women.

Field Hockey
It became a part of the Olympics in 1908 after which it was removed in 1924. However, it was brought back to Olympics in the very next Summer Olympic Games in 1928. India and Pakistan were Olympic champions in hockey. Women's hockey was held for the first time in 1980.

Football
It has been a part of every Olympiad except for the years 1896 and 1932. It used to be a men's sport. In 1900, it was introduced as a medal sport. Women's football was introduced in 1996.



Gymnastics
It is divided into three forms, which comprise the disciplines of this sport. Artistic, Rhythmic and Trampoline gymnastics are the three disciplines. Artistic gymnastics includes events like Floor Exercise, Vault, Parallel Bars, Horizontal Bar and Rings, among others, for men and women. Rhythmic gymnastics consists of individual and team events for women while trampoline includes individual events for men and women. For the first 32 years after its introduction, only men were allowed to participate. In 1928, women took part in artistic gymnastics for the very first time. Rhythmic gymnastics made a debut during the 1984 Summer Olympics. Trampolining was introduced in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Handball
Handball is considered to be one of the oldest sports. It debuted in the 1936 Summer Olympics after which it was excluded. After a long gap of 36 years, it reappeared in 1972. Women's handball was introduced in 1976.



Judo
It became a part of Summer Olympics as a medal sport in 1964. Till 1988, only men were included and women took part in the demonstration sport. Female judoka were recognized for the first time in 1992.

Modern Pentathlon
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Games introduced modern pentathlon to Summer Olympics. It is a blend of five disciplines, namely, epee fencing, pistol shooting, show jumping on horseback, 3km cross-country running and 200m freestyle swimming. It was introduced in the Stockholm Olympics held in 1912. Women participated for the first time in this sport during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Rowing
Since the Summer Olympics of 1900, rowing is a part of Olympic events. Women's events were introduced in 1976 and lightweight-rowing events began in 1996. Interestingly, rowing is the only sport where the finish line is crossed backwards.

Sailing
This sport debuted at the Summer Olympics of Paris in 1900. Except for 1904 when it was excluded, sailing has always appeared on the Olympic sports list. Before the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the sport was called yachting.



Shooting
Since the origin of the modern Olympic movement, shooting has always been a part of Olympic games. It was excluded in 1904 and in 1928.



Table Tennis
Dominated by the Chinese, table tennis became a part of Summer Olympics in 1988. Singles and doubles for men and women are the events included in this discipline. During the early 20th century, the Soviet Union had banned this sport considering that it was harmful to one's eyes.

Taekwondo
After being a demonstration sport in 1988 and 1992, Taekwondo found a place in the list of Olympic sports in the Summer Olympics of 2000.





Tennis
Tennis is a part of the Summer Olympics since 1896. After being excluded in 1924 and being played as a demonstration sport twice, it reappeared in 1988. Tennis comprises men's and women's singles and doubles as also mixed doubles.



Triathlon
It was introduced during the Summer Olympics in 2000. The International Triathlon Union is in charge of the management and regulation of this sport. It includes men's and women's events. Brigitte McMahon from Switzerland and Simon Whitfield from Canada were the first Olympic Triathlon champions.
Volleyball
This Olympic sport has two disciplines, namely, beach volleyball and indoor volleyball. Both have events for men and women. Indoor volleyball was introduced during the Summer Olympics of 1964 while beach volleyball debuted in the 1996 Games. United States has dominated this sport.

Weightlifting
It made its first appearance in the Summer Olympics in 1896 and reappeared in 1904. It is a part of the Olympic Games since the Summer Olympics of 1920. Since then, there has been a defined set of weight classes with weight limits for each. The classes and weight limits have changed over time. The one interesting rule that remains is, in case of a tie the lifter with lesser body weight wins.

Wrestling
It is a part of Summer Olympic Games since the modern Olympic movement began. It consists of events for both men and women. It is one of the oldest sports and was first included in the Ancient Olympics held in 708 BC. The longest wrestling match in the Olympic history was the one between Martin Klein (Russia) and Alfred Asikainen (Finland) during the Stockholm Olympics of 1912. It had lasted for 11 long hours!

It's been years since Olympics began. They have a long history and many interesting stories to tell; of successes and failures, inclusions and deletions, among many more. Their lasting popularity is a promise of their evolution into something grander.

Source: Buzzle

I'm sure most of you would be familiar with the sport 'long jump'. The long jump is a crucial part of any athletics meet. After all, it is one of those basic sports which nearly every kid (both boys and girls) is introduced to at some point, in school sports days or in high school.
The long jump has been a part of the Olympics since the ancient Greek times, and was included in the first modern Olympics in 1896. Often, there is a bit of confusion about standard long jump rules; I myself wasn't sure, until about a month ago, whether they measure the jump to the farthest landing point or the nearest. For those of you who follow the sport and would like to know a few basic details regarding rules and regulations of long jump, this article is the perfect concise summary of the same.

Long Jump: Basics

Before we move onto all the technicalities and formal rules of long jump, here are some long jump basics to get you started. As you all know, the long jump is a sport in which (as the name suggests), the athlete who jumps the longest by legal means, wins. Basically, this is all that the sport is about. The athlete begins running from his or her starting position and after attaining sufficient velocity, jumps, landing in a sand pit, which is fitted with distance markers. There is a foul line, in the run-up area, that the athlete has to be aware of; jumping from beyond this line results in a 'foul jump'. Jumpers try to get as close to the foul line as legally possible before initiating their jump. This entire process is governed by a certain set of rules. Let us see what they are.

Rules and Regulations

• No part of the athlete's foot should cross the front edge of the foul line. If, at the point of take-off, any part of his foot (even the toe edge of his shoe) crosses the front edge of the foul line, then the jump is termed to be illegal or a 'foul jump', and does not count.

• Typically, in International track and field events, a long jumper has three attempts to register his or her best legal jump. A foul jump accounts for an attempt, but the time isn't registered. Only the farthest legal jump counts.

• The distance, or the 'jump' is measured from the front edge of the foul line to the first landing point of the athlete. To better understand this, consider an athlete taking off legally from the foul line and landing on his feet 15 ft from the foul line. However, if, while landing, his hands touch the ground before his legs and a foot behind his farthest landing point, he would be awarded a jump of 14 ft, since the hands are nearer to the foul line than the feet and are the first point of contact.

• Similarly, even if the athlete takes off from behind the foul line, the starting point is still considered to be the front edge of the foul line, rather than the athlete's actual point of take off.

• Somersaults are not permitted during the jump.

• The maximum allowed thickness for a long jumper's shoe sole is 13 mm.

• Records made with the assistance of a tailwind of more than 2 m/s are not considered. 

• However, the time is registered in the ongoing competition, since all the athletes benefit from the same wind conditions.

Note.- Although there are references to the 'front edge' of the foul line, please note that the foul line is not a 'patch'. It is a single line. The 'front edge' references are simply for the sake of convenience.

Did You Know?
The long jump is one of the world's oldest sporting events. It was one of the events at the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece, and back then, it was the sole jumping event.
At the Olympics, the long jump is a part of the pentathlon, the heptathlon, and also the decathlon, apart from the solo event itself.

The present men's world record in long jump is held by Mike Powell of the USA at 8.95 meters, while the women's world record is held by Galina Chistyakova at 7.52 meters.
American track and field legend Carl Lewis made the longest jump of the year (athletics season) 7 times - a record.

World records in the long jump are notoriously hard to break. Mike Powell's world record, made in 1991, has not been broken for more than 20 years. The previous world record, held by Bob Beamon at 8.90 meters, had stood for 23 years before being broken by Powell. 

Similarly, Jesse Owens' 1935 world record of 8.13 meters stood for 25 years before being broken by Ralph Boston in 1960. Even the first long jump world record of 7.61 meters, made by Irishman Peter O'Connor in 1901, took 22 years to be broken.

No long jump world records were made in the decades of 1910-20, 40-50, 50-60, 70-80, 80-90, 2000-10 and the relatively young 2010s. Barring the solitary records by O'Connor and Powell, no records were made in the rest of 1900-10 and 1990-2000. This is a relatively rare occurrence in track and field sports.

Top Ten Jumps in History



Long jump is a crucial part of athletics and a prestigious event in international competitions. It has a long heritage and continues to build upon it in modern times.

Source: Buzzle