Copenhagen  - Reaction Friday to Rio de Janeiro's election as host city of the 2016 Olympics:

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: "The substantial difference was that those who were here to vote saw in our eyes that we came here with heart and soul. The other countries came here with proposals, we came with our heart and our soul."

IOC president Jacques Rogge: "Rio remained humble, they learnt a lot, today they won and that is a very nice story."

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero: "That's sport. Rio had a great bid, Madrid as well, but Rio won. It hurts a lot."

Basketball great Michael Jordan, a member of the Chicago bid: "I can't believe we did not win. I thought it was a great mix for the world. It was perfect for the world to explore."

Chicago governor Pat Quinn: "The bottom line is that Rio de Janeiro was the sentimental favourite. Never has the Olympics been held in South America and this was their opportunity to do it."

Chicago bid chief Pat Ryan: "I am sorry that we didn't bring home a victory."

FIFA president and IOC member Joseph Blatter: "A super decision. Now the Olympics are coming together with football (the 2014 World Cup in Brazil).

Sebastian Coe, president of the 2012 London Olympic committee: "It's a good decision. We're really happy to hand over to a country that put young people at the heart of its bid, and to a continent that has never before hosted the Games."

German IOC vice-president Thomas Bach: "This is great for the universality of the Games."

Walther Troeger, German IOC member: "The argument that the Games had never been in South America simply won through."

Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal: "We musn't allow ourselves to be be discouraged and should carry on fighting. Madrid has deserved to host the Olympic Games and will win the next time. We should support a bid more than ever."  dpa