It’s that special time, once again, when the world’s eyes will be affixed on the Summer Olympics! They’re being hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Here are some interesting facts about the games and its host city…
1 – Rio 2016 will be the first time in Olympic history that a South American country has hosted the Games. The city won its bid in 2009, beating out Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.
2 – The torch relay began on April 21 in the Games’ birthplace — Olympia in Greece — before traveling across Brazil for more than 90 days and finishing in Rio on August 5.
3 – The opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Rio’s Maracanã Stadium, which boasts the world record for the most fans ever to attend a soccer game. Although its current capacity is around 78,000, the stadium squeezed in at least 173,000 fans during the 1950 World Cup final.
4 – Around 10,500 athletes from 206 countries are expected to take part in 17 days of the Olympiad, competing across 306 events.
5 – The Rio games are the first to feature Olympians born in the year 2000. Rules state that all competitors must have been born before Jan. 1, 2003, but many sports have other age requirements for health and safety reasons. The youngest competitors are likely to be from diving and gymnastics.
6 – A team of athletes who have been forced to flee their countries have been allowed to compete for the first time. The (IOC) says five to 10 refugees are expected to qualify and compete under the Olympic flag.
7 – There are 7.5 million tickets, with prices ranging from $40 for some swimming events to almost $3,000 for the best seats at the opening ceremony. Most popular events so far are soccer, basketball, volleyball, and handball.
