The race for the 2016 Olympics is on. All seven applicant cities submitted their bid files to the International Olympic Committee by the deadline.

The candidates are Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, Chicago, Doha, Madrid, Prague, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

The documents are in response to a 25-point IOC questionnaire covering details of sports venues, financing, security, transportation, accommodation and other issues.

The files will be examined by a panel of IOC experts, who will compile a report for the ruling IOC executive board.

The board will cut the field to a shortlist of finalists in June, while the full IOC will pick the host city on October 2, 2009, in Copenhagen.

Former French and US Open tennis champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and two other officials personally handed over Madrid's bid books today.

"Today is a very important day for our candidature because we've accomplished one of the principal requirements that the IOC has asked of us," Madrid bid chief Mercedes Coghen said.

The seven cities are due to present their bid plans to the public Tuesday.

Chicago is considered a strong contender to bring the Summer Olympics back to the United States for the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Rio is bidding to become the first South American city to stage the Olympics. Brazil will host soccer's World Cup in 2014.

Madrid is bidding for a second straight time. It finished third in the IOC election for the 2012 Games, which were won by London in a final vote against Paris. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Olympics.

Tokyo hosted the Olympics in 1964, while Doha - which staged the Asian Games in 2006 - is trying to take the Olympics to the Middle East for the first time.

Baku and Prague are considered long shots.

AP