The four cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympics handed in their plans to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne yesterday, in what appears to be among the tightest races in recent history.
Overshadowed by the financial crisis that has already affected 2010 and 2012 Olympic cities Vancouver and London, the candidates - Madrid, Chicago, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro - chose small delegations to submit their bulky candidature files.
Chicago opted for the grandson of 1936 Olympic champion Jesse Owens, Stuart Owen Rankin, to submit their bid book.
Rankin also briefly visited the nearby Olympic museum to get a glimpse of the shoes his grandfather used to win four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics.
Rio's team consisted of two organising committee members and two Brazilian teenagers, representing the Games' future in the South American city, while Tokyo chose a city and a bid official to submit their plans.
Madrid's three-member bid delegation was accompanied by an Olympic and a Paralympic medallist as well as two Madrid citizens.
Following the file submission, the IOC will kick off a round of visits to all cities before the evaluation commission reports back to the Olympic leaders who vote on the 2016 host during the IOC session on October 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Chicago is first on the list with the 13-member commission inspecting the city's plans between April 4-7. Tokyo is next (April 16-19), followed by Rio (April 29-May 2) before rounding off the inspections in Madrid (May 5-8).
The cities will have an added opportunity to present their plans to all IOC members in June, a request by IOC members who are not allowed to visit bid cities after the bribery scandals involving the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and the IOC.
Their final presentation is in Copenhagen in front of the IOC session just before the October 2 vote.
Political backing
All four candidates have considerable political backing for their projects, with Chicago having the added advantage of new US President Barack Obama spending most of his political life in that city.
Rio is vying to become the first South American city to host the Olympics.
Tokyo is working hard to allay any financial concerns, having set up a contingency fund that has banked more than $4.4 billion. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will flag his Olympic credentials as well, given he took part in the Montreal 1976 Games as a shooter.
Madrid, who unsuccessfully bid for the 2012 Olympics, has submitted an improved proposal, banking on Spain's recent major international sporting success in soccer, tennis and basketball.
Spain last hosted the Games in Barcelona in 1992.