Four cities chosen as 2016 Games candidates

My take: I would love to see either Tokyo or Chicago win! Madrid doesn't have a chance. Rio de Janeiro actually has a pretty good shot at it considering the support behind the bid and the fact that the games have never been held in South America.

From an IOC Press Release:
The International Olympic Committee announced today that Chicago (USA), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Madrid (Spain) have made it on to the shortlist of cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Candidate Cities were accepted unanimously from seven Applicant Cities, which also included Prague (Czech Republic), Baku (Azerbaijan) and Doha (Qatar).

“All the bids were of a very high standard,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “It is a tribute to the health of the Olympic Movement that the field was so strong. I congratulate the Candidate Cities and I hope that those cities which were unsuccessful this time have benefited from the process.”