It's official! Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Games. The Chinese capital stole the honours following a vote by members of the International Olympic Committee.
The other cities in the running in the final list included Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul. Beijing won the vote in the second round of voting when it obtained a majority of 56 votes out of the 105 IOC members who voted. Toronto came second with 22 votes ahead of Paris 18 and Istanbul 9.
The Japanese city of Osaka was eliminated in the first round, but Beijing did not have an outright majority and a second round of voting was called. It will be the first time that Beijing has held the Olympic Games.
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