Seven Applicant NOCs/ Cities for the 2016 Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is pleased to announce that seven cities have been put forward by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to apply to host the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016. The cities, in alphabetical order, are: Baku (Azerbaijan), Chicago (USA), Doha (Qatar), Madrid (Spain), Prague (Czech Republic), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Tokyo (Japan). NOCs had until 13 September 2007 to notify the IOC that a city within their jurisdiction was interested in applying.

Candidature process in two phases
For these seven cities, today begins the first phase of the IOC’s two-step procedure, which will run until the 2nd October 2009, election day of the 2016 host city.

Key dates
- 14 January 2008: Applicant Cities to reply to IOC questionnaire
- Beginning of June 2008: Acceptance of Candidate Cities by the IOC Executive Board in Lausanne
- Beginning of June 2008: Candidature Procedure and Questionnaire made available to Candidate Cities
- August 2008: Candidate Cities participate in the IOC Observer Programme during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
- 12 February 2009: Candidature file to be submitted to the IOC
- May – June 2009: IOC Evaluation Commission visits Candidate Cities
- 2 September 2009: Publication of the Evaluation Commission report
- 2 October 2009: Election of the 2016 Host City in Copenhagen, Denmark