Rio is host to the Olympic Games this year simplistically termed as the Rio Olympics 2016. The scheduled venue is at Rio de Janerio from 5^th to 21^st August, 2016. The new games of rugby sevens and golf are fresh entrants, added in 2009. Kosovo and Sudan are first time participants. It will feature 28 Olympic sports. The events are scheduled to be hosted in thirty three venues in Rio. The rest shall be hosted but the cities of Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasilia, Manaus. Rio, being the first South American city that has been given the honor of hosting the Olympics is doing its best.

The bidding process started on 16^th May 2007, wherein each city sent in a formal application confirming their intention to bid by 13 September 2007 to the International Olympic Committee. The candidates shortlisted by June 2008, were Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janerio and Tokyo. Tokyo hosted the Olympics in 1964 and will again in 2020. Doha was struck off the list as they insisted on hosting the game in October, outside the IOC calendar, although they did score pretty high. The city has been witnessing large scale renovation and developmental projects since the honor has been conferred on them. The city’s perpetual crime problems are receiving primary attention as well.

The official logo for the Rio Olympics has been designed by the Brazilian design agency Tatil design. The concepts that the logo was based on were: contagious energy, harmonious diversity, exuberant nature, Olympic spirit. Having the colors yellow, green and blue of the Brazilian flag, the logo looks something like a pair of arms conjoined in an embrace shaped like the Sugarloaf Mountain The firm won the competition involving 139 agencies. The company claims to be influenced by Henri Matisse’s painting, Dance. Although initially accused of plagiarism but the company has stated that they have tried to make it as original as possible from the others.

The mascot was unveiled in 2014 named Vinicius after musician Vinicius de Moraes that carries the design of wildlife that is integral to Brazil. The names of the mascots were determined by the Brazilians by a common vote. The Paralympics mascot is named Tom, after musician Tom Jobim. Vinicius and Tom are partners in music and together they are the Brazilian synonym for excellence. The mascots are a culmination of the different animals; bearing the stealth of cats and the sway of the monkeys. The mascot happens to be a ‘true implication of Brazilian fauna’. The stories the center the mascots originated in Brazil, among the locals itself. For example, Vinicius can imitate any voice and can stretch really high, also has a great hearing so that it can hear the loyal fans and so on. While Vinicius is the mascot that is a culmination of the fauna, Tom is a culmination of the flora. The Paralympics mascot seeks to rejuvenate the athletes and is a symbol for recreation. The creation of the mascots is not only creative but also aesthetically appealing.