Rio 2016 making steady progress on road to Games

Preparations for the first Olympic Games to be held in South America are continuing to progress well, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Commission, in Rio de Janeiro for the second time since the Brazilian city was awarded the Games in October 2009, received progress reports on a wide range of issues, conducted a venue tour, and met with government officials during its three-day visit that concluded today. Rio 2016 has made great strides as an organisation. It has developed good plans, made an excellent start to its marketing programme, and strong integration can be seen across its departments and with its stakeholders. The Commission was most impressed by the high quality of people that have been hired to work on the project. "It’s been a year since the Coordination Commission last visited Rio and we are pleased with the amount of work that has already been undertaken by the Rio organisers," said Commission chair and IOC Executive Board member Nawal EL MOUTAWAKEL. "They have a solid and experienced team and this has helped to speed things along. The strong support from all levels of government has also played an important role in allowing the progress that we have seen this week to take place, and it will be key to the Games’ success in the future." The work already undertaken with respect to legacy and the athletes was particularly well-received by the Commission. Rio's commitment to the athletes was clear across all the presentations made about the Olympic and Paralympic Games projects. Their desire for the Games to leave behind a positive and lasting legacy for future generations was also obvious. This was illustrated particularly well by the new sports school that was inaugurated by the Commission yesterday and the Olympic education programme that is now in place in schools across the city. Additionally, the city presented its social housing programme, where some of the units will be used for the Games before being handed over to local residents. This will undoubtedly be an important element of Rio 2016's legacy. Carlos NUZMAN, President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, said: "I would like to acknowledge the partnership that the IOC Coordination Commission has established with us. Throughout the last year, the Commission has played a key role assisting Rio 2016, through the seasoned guidance of its members, to fulfil its many responsibilities. We believe that this collaboration with the IOC and our periodic meetings are fundamental to the successful organisation of the Games." Venue construction and infrastructure development are moving ahead, with the Commission getting a first-hand look at a number of the sites that will be used to stage and service the Games in 2016. The sites visited included the Transcarioca Bus Rapid Transit line, the Maracanã stadium, a water treatment facility, Rio's new city operations centre, and the Sambodromo, which will host a number of sports at Games time. The Commission also noted with great satisfaction that, with the decision to approve the venue for golf, Rio has now finalised its venue masterplan a full five years before the Games. This is a fantastic step forward and will allow the organisers to start working in earnest with the International Federations on making the venues Games-ready. For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations team:
Tel: +41 21 621 6000, Email: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit the IOC website at www.olympic.org. Source: IOC Edited by World Archery Communication

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