Lula is proudest president in the world after Rio win

By Pedro Fonseca

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he was the proudest president in the world on Saturday, hours after Rio de Janeiro had won the right to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

Although the spotlight was firmly on U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle's campaign in the Danish capital for Chicago's bid before the vote on Friday, Lula upstaged his counterpart to snatch a historic victory for Rio, which will be the first South American city to host the Games.

"It was extraordinary the emotion we put into our presentation," Lula told reporters. "I almost cried two times during my speech (to the International Olympic Committee)."

"After we won, I was relaxed and cried. I remembered all the things I had gone through in my life, things that apparently were impossible to happen... I am the proudest president in the world," the former steel and union worker said.
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Rio de Janeiro won a resounding vote from the International Olympic Committee, rebuffing Obama, who had lobbied for his adopted hometown, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to attend an IOC session.

Despite the so-called Obama factor, Chicago went out in the first round of voting. Tokyo followed in a second round and Rio won more than twice the number of votes in the last round against its final rival, Madrid.

SOUTH AMERICAN GAMES

Lula, who wept uncontrollably long after the IOC announcement, had been the driving forced behind the bid for the past three years with his strong personal and vocal commitment.

There were no tears on Saturday though as Lula joked with reporters, clearly relishing Rio's victory, and speaking for more than an hour.

"I am realizing only now. During the night I woke several times and could not believe Rio had won," he said.

"The South American countries are feeling they also won, because they will participate as never before. Can you imagine how many Argentines, Uruguayans, Paraguayans and Peruvians will go to Brazil? It is not only a Rio Olympics, it is Brazil's Olympics."

Lula said he had received a congratulatory phone call from Obama, who had left before the voting, as well as most heads of state from South American countries, including Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

Tropical Brazil will be in the sports spotlight for several years to come with the country also hosting the 2014 soccer World Cup.

Lula joked it was now time to bid for the Winter Olympics as well.

"With the climate change, everything is possible. We already have some places in southern Brazil with snow, so we need just a little more," he said.

(Writing by Karolos Grohmann, Editing by Paul Radford)

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