President Lula urges IOC to show vision and vote for Rio in 2016

From James Toney, Sportsbeat, in Copenhagen

BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called on International Olympic Committee members to make a bold decision when selecting the host of the 2016 Games later today.

NEW FRONTIER: Brazil's President Lula and Rio 2016 bid Carlos Nuzman argued it was time for South American to finally stage the Olympics at the IOC Session in Copenhagen

In a passionate speech, he claimed awarding the Olympics to Rio would mean more to them than their rivals from Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.

While US President Barack Obama summoned the full range of his oratory skills in his word-perfect and typically erudite presentation, President Lula delivered a simple - but equally powerful - message.

"We are carrying the hopes and dreams of more than 190 million Brazilians, who are watching your decision today on big screens on our beaches and on small television sets along the banks of the Amazon river," he said.

"It is Brazil's time.  We are the only country in the world's top ten economies not to have hosted the Games.

"Our rivals today have all hosted the Games in their countries before. For them it will be just one more Olympics, for us it will be an unparalleled opportunity.

"This is a South American bid - a continent with 400 million men and women that has never hosted the Games before. It is time now to address this imbalance.

"This decision could open up a new and promising frontier. The IOC has always modernised the Games without dimming the flame of tradition. The opportunity now is to expand the Games to new continents.

"It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country.

"It would be a magical moment for us and it would send a powerful message that the Olympic Games belong to all people and to all humanity.

"We ask for your support and we ask for your vision. Rio is ready, give us this chance and you will not regret it."

And while Lula showed the passion, the rest of Rio's team did their best to lay to rest fears about financing and security in a presentation packed with pledges and plans.

However, the key message was simple - it was time, they claimed, to take the Olympics somewhere new.

And bid leader Carlos Nuzman, while not critical of Chicago, considered Rio's closest rival, underlined that the USA has already staged eight previous Summer and Winter games.

Displaying a map of the world, punctuated with Olympic hosts since 1896, he said: "Europe has staged the Games 30 times, North America 12 times, including eight in the United States, Asia five times and Oceania twice.

"It is time now for South America to have our chance."

He also played down suggestions that hosting the World Cup in 2014 would stretch resources in Brazil.

"When you push your voting button today, you can inspire a new continent," added Nuzman.

"We are ready, we are ready to serve and we are ready to deliver history."

DECISION 2016: Sportsbeat's James Toney and Gerard Meagher live blog from the 2016 host city election in Copenhagen