Rio enters 2012 race

Rio submitted an unsuccessful bid to host the 2004 Olympics

The Brazilian Olympic Committee has chosen Rio de Janeiro to lead its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Rio, which made an unsuccessful attempt to host the 2004 Games, was chosen ahead of Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo, by the 34 delegates in Monday's ballot.

Organisers of Rio's bid said that staging the Games would cost $4.7bn (£2.85bn).

But they argued that it would be given a headstart because it will be spending $300m (£182m) to stage the 2007 Pan American Games.

Rio, which is hoping to bring the summer Olympics to South America for the first time, has until 15 July to formally declare its bid to the International Olympic Committee.

We'll provide all the financial and human resources to see that Rio's chosen Rio's mayor Cesar Maia

The city's mayor Cesar Maia dismissed fears about crime, saying that the Olympic village and a number of venues would all be concentrated in a small area.

"It will be safer than in any other place in the world," he said.

"We'll provide all the financial and human resources to see that Rio's chosen.

"We've learned a lot from our losing bid in 2004. Rio is an emblematic city rich in popular culture. It has an excellent international image."

Rogge: Put athletes first

The IOC will choose the host for the 2012 Games in Singapore on 6 July 2005.

New York, London, Leipzig, Havana, Madrid, Moscow, Paris and Istanbul are the other candidates hoping to stage the 2012 event.