The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio in 2016 today completed its fourth visit to the Brazilian city. The members were able to see the real progress made since their last trip in June 2012, particularly with regard to the media villages, the master plan and the recruitment of collaborators by the organizing committee. However, time is running out. Over the next three and a half years, the two Olympic parks – Deodoro and Barra – and many supporting facilities will need to be delivered. It is a colossal task that awaits the organizers.
Led by its president, Nawal El Moutawakel, also a member of the IOC Executive Board, the commission examined over the last three days the preparations for Rio and took note of the latest information provided by the organizers and their partners. The members of the commission also visited several sites linked to the Games: the Maracanã stadium, the new headquarters of the organizing committee, Deodoro and the Rio port area. They were pleased to note that the organizing committee had retained many of the lessons learned from the London Games (on site last summer or during the review session organized in Rio in November 2012) and was now working on their adaptation to the Brazilian context.
The commission also emphasized the unwavering support provided by the government, as evidenced by the regular holding of meetings between the organizing committee and the different levels of government, meetings chaired by the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff. The Brazilian Minister of Sports, Aldo Rebelo, the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio Cabral, and the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, also attended the meetings of the coordination commission.
The evolution of the structure of the Rio 2016 organizing committee, with the arrival of a new general director, Sidney Levy, and several collaborators with experience of the Games, has also allowed the Olympic project to go from strength to strength. forward over the last few months. The commission, however, recalled that this recruitment work must continue as the project enters its final phase.
“We have seen real progress this week,” said the president of the coordination commission, Nawal El Moutawakel. “Construction work is underway and the organizing committee continues to develop. However, many projects will have to be delivered simultaneously. We are confident but we must all remain vigilant and continue our hard work so that deadlines are met. »
The coming year will be crucial for Rio 2016. Work must begin on several sports venues so that test events organized before the Games can take place on time. These events play a key role in the smooth running of the Olympic event because they allow, on the one hand, the athletes to discover the competition areas before the Games and, on the other hand, the National Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Federations. plan their operations.
Rio 2016 also presented its accommodation plans during the Coordination Commission meeting. The commission acknowledged that considerable work had been done in this area, but that many hotel constructions still needed to be confirmed in the coming months. The final hosting plan is an essential element of many Games operations.
Rio 2016 has also submitted its project aimed at mobilizing the entire country through education, culture, digital media, branding and spectator experience. The commission noted with satisfaction that all Rio 2016 national partners were associated with this project.
The President of the Rio Games Organizing Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, said: “We are making great strides and are on the right track to deliver great Games to Rio, Brazil and the rest of the world. We have spared no effort to improve the integration of the various elements of the Olympic project. The essential participation and support of all three levels of government is stronger than ever. We are grateful to the IOC Coordination Commission for their thoughtful advice this week. The Rio 2016 team will continue its tireless efforts to find solutions to outstanding issues and meet deadlines. »
Finally, an update was given on the preparations underway in several other sectors: athletes, venues, sports, services to International Federations and National Olympic Committees, transport, media services, workforce, technology, marketing and Games Paralympics.
The commission will now travel to Rio twice a year, as planned in the usual schedule of visits by the coordination commissions to the host cities of the Games.
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