Rio 2016 Unveils New Emblem
On a packed Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, IOC President Jacques Rogge, IOC Coordination Commission Chairwoman for 2016 Nawal El Moutawakel, and Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman have unveiled the new emblem of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The logo, which was unveiled shortly before midnight on 31 December, marks the beginning of a new stage in Rio’s journey to hosting the first Olympic Games in South America. Composed of multi-coloured figures holding hands over the Olympic rings, and the words Rio 2016, the new look will become one of the world’s most recognised brands over the next five and a half years.
Olympic Story
Commenting following the launch, Rogge said: “I would like to congratulate the Rio team for its choice of design for the Rio 2016 emblem, which I find very innovative and creative. It truly reflects Rio’s and Brazil’s vision for these Games, Brazilians’ passion for sport, and the coming together of different cultures around one project – the Olympic Games.” He continued: “Tonight, we saw Rio at its most passionate with millions of people gathered on Copacabana Beach. This is a taste of the atmosphere that I’m sure athletes and spectators can expect in 2016, and a feeling that I’m sure the new symbol will help communicate far and wide. I think that all of Brazil should be proud of their new emblem and I, for one, look forward to seeing it become a key part of Brazil’s and Rio’s Olympic story.”
Passion and Transformation
The new Rio 2016 emblem is inspired by the organisers’ vision, which is: “All Brazilians uniting to deliver the greatest festival on earth and proudly advancing our national promise of progress.” It has, as its essence, the concepts of passion and transformation, which both reflect modern-day Brazil – a country full of passion and that is in the process of transforming itself into a world leader. This positioning is supported by four pillars – harmonious diversity, contagious energy, exuberant nature, and the Olympic spirit. These have all been masterfully combined to give Rio 2016 its new colourful identity. This emblem is not only a symbol of Rio’s and Brazil’s hopes for these Games but also for the future of the city and country.
RIO 2016
Rio de Janeiro was elected on 2 October 2009 as the host city of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rio was elected in the third round of voting, beating the cities of Chicago (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain). Rio defeated Madrid in the third round of voting by 66 votes to 32, with Chicago and Tokyo already having been eliminated in the first and second rounds respectively. Rio 2016 will have 28 sports on its programme and will run from 5 till 21 August 2016.
Discover the new website for RIo 2016