The Copa Cobana Games

Well Rio de Janeiro in winning the International Olympic Games for 2016, for the first time anywhere in South America, following on from a third triumph for London. It was just the tonic the movement needed, comparable to UEFA choosing Poland/Ukraine over Italy for the European Championships in 2012. It emphasises the broad horizons of the Olympics. Disappointing for Barack Obama it may have been, but Chicago finishing fourth, probably had little to do with him, since the International Olympic Committee probably had sour memories of Atlanta in 1996, widely believed to be the most bungled Games in its modern history and the massive corruption involved in securing the Winter Olympics for Salt Lake City in 2002. US opponents of President Obama will grumble that now the USA will not have staged the Summer Games for almost a quarter of a century (if they win 2020) and point the finger, even though they would have shown their true unpatriotic heart by hoping that Chicago did not win so as to damage Obama. But this is not the time to think of recriminations in the USA. This time belongs to you Rio. Long may the parties continue.