September 14, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 1, 1428

MADRID, Sept 13: Madrid formally submitted its bid on Thursday to host the 2016 Olympics. Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon informed the Spanish government that the candidacy had been lodged with the International Olympic Committee.

Thursday was the IOC deadline for submission of preliminary bids. Other contenders include Chicago; Tokyo; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Prague, Czech Republic and Doha, Qatar.

The IOC will announce the full list on Friday. It will select a short list of finalists in June 2008 and pick the host city in October 2009.

This is Madrid’s second consecutive bid after finishing third in the voting in 2005 for the 2012 Olympics.—AP