Hopes run high for Rio Olympics bid

Spain’s King Juan Carlos and U.S. first lady Michelle Obama may be in Copenhagen advocating for their country’s respective 2016 Olympics bids but Brazil has also pulled out some heavy hitters of its own:

Pele and Olympic champion swimmer Cesar Cielo urged IOC members Wednesday to help transform the prospects for young people across South America.

"I traveled the world with football," said Pele, who was voted the best athlete of the 20th century by the Olympic movement. "Those who have followed my life saw how sports can change lives. I think this is a big asset for members of the IOC"...

Rio bid leaders are appealing for the Olympics to come to South America for the first time. The city is competing against Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo to host the 2016 games, which will be decided in a secret ballot of International Olympic Committee members Friday.

Pele along with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten will be expected to show up with an expected 100,000 at Copacabana beach to see if Rio wins its bid. Oddsmakers, however, aren’t quite as optimistic:

Online Sources- YouTube, ESPN, The Telegraph, AP