In 2016, athletes from around the world will compete for gold medals in the Summer Olympics. Even though the games are three years away, Brazil's residents already feel like winners. The nation was named to host this important sporting event in October,2009. It will be the first Olympics held in South America. The games will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The city beat out three other sites, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, to host the event. When the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro, cheering people _ the city's streets. "This is huge for Rio and for the whole country," says resident Sueli Ferreira. The Olympics are expected to attract tens of thousands of people. Brazilian officials have already started to prepare for the crowds. " We know what we need to do," explains Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. " The words from now on are work, work and work." Officials want to fix up local sports centers before Rio de Janeiro steps into the spotlight. They also want to reduce the amount of crime. They hope hosting the games will improve life in Brazil. About 30 percent of people there live in poverty, or poor conditions. Tourism during the Olympics is expected to create more than 2 million jobs. " It's going to be good for the economy, good for the people," Ferreira says. " This gives us hope that things will be better here." According to the passage, the 2016 Olympics will be held in   _  .
Europe Asia North America South America