Officials from Brazil were in Chicago Tuesday, one of three cities bidding to become the USOC candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, touting Rio’s 2016 bid.
Rio’s bid is sure to get a boost when the city hosts the 15th Pan American Games next July. Brazilian Consul General Ricardo Luiz de Carvalho said “the legacy of the Games will not only be the spirit of the Games itself, but also the infrastructure that it is going to be”, reports CBS.
Rio is already building a village for almost 6,000 athletes and is spending $500 million to create venues for next year’s Pan Am Games. De Carvalho said that infrastructure could give them an advantage in bidding for the 2016 Games.
James McCarthy of the U.S. Olympic Committee said, “I don’t know if it gives them a leg up, but it certainly gives them exposure and experience in organizing a major athletic event, which is valuable for Rio”.
