DECISION 2016: Rio have bashed down the Olympic doors for all to follow

 THE morning after the night before in Copenhagen was a soggy one.

 MOMENT OF TRUTH: Confirmation of Rio's victory in the race to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics

Pewter skies ensured a particularly wet Saturday in the Danish capital - but nothing could rain on Rio's parade.

Mike Lee, the London 2012 bid director of communications and the driving force behind Rio's PR strategy, has played an instrumental role in securing the last two Olympics, and he pulled off another masterstroke today by calling Rio's press conference for early afternoon.

Four years ago in Singapore, the London 2012 team, in typically British fashion, were up at the crack of dawn to converse with the media - all except Lord Coe, who was nowhere to be seen - (presumably the alarm failed to go off).

But as the dust settled and the caiprinha's ran dry in Copenhagen, the inquest into Rio's victory and Chicago's defeat is already well underway.

Rio bid chief Carlos Nuzman is still riding the crest of a considerable wave. If anyone owes him a tenner or has done the dirty with his missus, now is the time to tell him because he's seemingly super-glued to cloud nine at present.

And who could blame him. He and his team delivered a flawless presentation, high on Latin American intensity, in-keeping with their ‘Live your Passion' slogan.

Their message to the IOC was not so much made clear, but more sledge-hammered into the IOC suits at every possible turn.

But it clearly worked.

Rio is a rapidly developing city in a country enjoying considerable economic regeneration under the leadership of charasmatic Captain Pugwash lookalike President Lula but does not as yet have the economic firepower of Chicago, Madrid or Tokyo.

There was little doubting Chicago's ability to stage an impressive Games, rather the question was ‘do we want the USA to stage another Games?'

Regardless of Mr and Mrs Obama's presence, the resounding answer was no.

Feuding between the IOC and the US Olympic Committee, which receives a gluttonous 13 per cent of fees and revenues from Olympic television rights will also not have helped.

Perhaps a victim of his own success, Obama needed to tread on egg-shells in Copenhagen to boost Chicago's bid and fleeting visit was clearly not enough to seduce the IOC members and perhaps even viewed as an arrogant snub.

Tokyo departed Copenhagen without disgracing themselves, benefitting from Chicago's humiliation and can re-group. Should they come back in four years with a stronger, more invigorating bid, they will come a lot closer.

And Madrid were once again also-rans, despite the best efforts of former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch to call in every favour he could among the voting members.

A colourful bid perhaps deserved to reach the final two but in a two-horse race with Rio, they were hammered into submission.

Indeed, the winning margin of Rio's victory proves that the IOC members listened to what they had to say.

"We must thank the IOC members because it is clear that they listened to what we had to say. We had a bold message and they understand it," said Nuzman.

It also ensures a permanent shifting of the fault lines of IOC elections. While the FIfa World Cup, the other only major global sporting event to rival the Olympics in terms of magnitude, has already embraced the developing world, the Olympic movement, at least until yesterday, had not.

While it is true that the World Cup is yet to reach Australasia, it will making its first foray into Africa next year, something the Olympics still seems a distance from doing,

The IOC, and this is perhaps why Obama's arrival had little impact, is somewhat of a global gentry, and a closed shop, uninterested in opening its doors beyond the developed world.

But that has now changed. IOC President Jacques Rogge knew it when addressing the media at the signing of the Host City Contract on Friday and Nuzman is only too aware of what the Olympics in Rio will mean to the rest of the world.  

"This decision will change the world of sport and the world of the Olympics for the future," added Nuzman.

"Jacques Rogge mentioned that we are going to change to elections for the next bid and the campaign - they will follow our strategies - they need to work in this way."

Rio have set the standard, forced the Olympic doors open, and invited the rest of the world to join them reshaping the Olympic movement.

But before we start thinking of cocktails on the Copacabana, the ugly issue of television rights reared its ugly head again.

They have not yet been allocated by the IOC for the 2014 or 2016 Olympics and Chicago's heavy defeat is sure to impact on just how lucrative they are.

But Rio is just an hour behind New York ensuring no major scheduling problems with the dominant American broadcasters.

While Nuzman revealed he has already had contact with major broadcaster NBC, who he believes are ready to welcome Rio with open arms.  

Nuzman also let slip that last week he sat down and predicted the final round of voting to be Rio against Madrid, with his city coming out on top 67-33.

Close but no cigar. Then again, I'm sure Nuzman will be affording himself one of Havana's finest on his return home.