Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)MADRID have fallen at the final hurdle in their bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
The Spanish capital lost out to Rio de Janeiro in a nail-biting finale that mirrored the heartbreak endured in 2005 after the city once again reached the final stages of voting for the 2012 games.
Hopes had been high after Tokyo and, surprisingly, Chicago were eliminated in the earlier stages, meaning it was a straight decider between Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.
However, Olympic President, Jacques Rogge sent thousands of Brazilians avidly watching the action unfold on Copacabana Beach into raptures with the decision.
