The London Games have come to a close, the Olympic flag, the universal symbol of the Olympiad is now in Rio de Janiero. Its arrival in the Brazilian city signals the 2016 Games are only four years away.
The official Olympic flag was brought to a news conference in Rio de Janeiro, where the mayor of the city called it a "special moment" for Rio and for Brazil as a whole.
Eduardo Paes pledges the Games will leave a vast legacy for Rio, the beachside metropolis that suffered from decades of neglect after it lost national capital status to Brasilia in 1960.
Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, said, "To bring this Olympic flag, I think, is a very special moment for our country, for our city, to represent the people I represented - the Brazilians, the Rio residents. It is an enormous pleasure, to be able to take care of this box, of this flag, which, at the moment I cannot touch without gloves, it’s an enormous honor."
One Brazilian medal winner at the London Games believes having the home crowd support will inspire greater results for the country’s athletes.
Robert Scheidt, Olympic Bronze Medalist, said, "I think the preparation work was very good for London. We won a large number of medals. We can still improve a lot for Rio. I think the possibility of competing at home with the energy of the people is unique. We can see how the fans helped the English. I’m sure that us here will do even more, many more fans, much more energy. I think the athletes will gain a lot from that."
The Olympic flag, made out of silk for the 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea, will be temporarily housed in Rio’s City Hall and will be open to public viewings.
Rio will be the first South American city to host the Olympics.