IOC Coordination Commission for the 2016 Games begins its fourth visit to Rio

IOC Coordination Commission for the 2016 Games begins its fourth visit to Rio

 

Commission members are given updates on the organisers’ progress updates on the first day of their visit

 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 18 February, 2013: The fourth official visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016™ Games started this Monday, 18 February. The first day is dedicated to updates on the organisers’ progress. After the welcome speech by the Chair of the Commission, Moroccan Olympic Champion Nawal El Moutawakel, the opening session continued with a presentation by the President of the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Carlos Arthur Nuzman.

 

Throughout the day, detailed progress updates on areas such as venues, transportation, and accommodation were made to the event participants, including Sport Minister Aldo Rebelo, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes and Rio State Chief of Staff Regis Fichtner, who all also made opening remarks.

 

Nawal El Moutawakel said: “Over the next three days, we look forward to understanding precisely your level of preparation and your action plans for the coming months. You can count on the full support of all the members of the Commission and their long and diverse experience in their respective fields, in terms of organising the Olympic Games. With only 180 Mondays to go, the Games are fast approaching and we are all looking forward to experiencing the Olympic Games with a Carioca twist. Before then though, a lot of hard work remains.”

 

Nuzman commented on the progress of the preparations for Rio 2016™ and celebrated the knowledge exchange with the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG): “We know the focus is now truly on us, as the hosts of the next Summer Games in 2016. It is our turn to deliver, to redouble the levels of our work and to achieve excellence. We would like to thank the IOC and LOCOG for the impressive advice and insight we gained through the London 2012 debriefing. We are now applying the lessons we have learned. We all know London and Rio are very different cities, with very different challenges and opportunities. So our intention is to use the learning of London to deliver the vision we have outlined ever since our bid”.

 

Brazil’s Sport Minister, Aldo Rebelo, pointed out the growing involvement of the Federal Government in following the preparations for the Games. “The fourth visit finds Rio and Brazil up to date with its commitments towards delivering the Olympic Games. We had a meeting with President Dilma Roussef last month, in which we went over the activities related to the preparations for the Games and we are fully collaborating. I want to reinforce our pride in hosting the Games - it is a true honour to hold the most traditional event in history. Rio de Janeiro is used to and ready to host major events and welcome visitors and tourists.”

 

Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes, highlighted the warmth of local population in his welcome speech. “We have just witnessed during Carnival that people from Rio are familiar with hosting major events and are used to dealing with the restrictions they impose. It is a pleasure to confirm that the city is moving forward in the build up for the Games. All the sports venues and infrastructure work are underway and the atmosphere of this meeting is already quite different than the previous ones. We all know that we are under short deadlines and that the requirements are quite strict in order to deliver such a big event, but today we are on the right track to deliver everything we are expected to.”

 

Rio State Chief of Staff, Regis Fichtner, complimented the interaction between all levels of government. “We have always had good relationship before and I believe we are getting even closer now, working together to prepare for the Games”.

 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016™ Games

 

The Coordination Commission includes members from the five continents, bringing with them enormous experience in the Olympic Games or major sporting events. The group represents several areas of the Olympic Movement, such as athletes, National Olympic Committees and International Federations.

 

After becoming the first African to receive the Olympic gold medal after winning the 400 meter hurdle event in 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, El Moutawakel became the first African to lead an IOC Coordination Commission.  In addition to El Moutawakel and IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Switzerland’s Gilbert Felli, the Rio 2016 Coordination Commission is also composed of Alex Gilady (ISR), Alexander Popov (RUS), Beatrice Allen (GAM), Ching-Kuo Wu (TPE), Francesco Ricci Bitti (ITA), José Luis Campo (ARG), Gunilla Lindberg (SWE), Jackie Brock-Doyle (GBR), John D. Coates (AUS), Julio César Maglione (URU), Nat Indrapana (THA), Nicole Hoevertsz (ARU), Patrick Joseph Hickey (IRL), Richard L. Carrión (PUR), Sergey Bubka (UKR), Timothy Tsun Ting Fok (HKG) and Willi Kaltschmitt Luján (GUA).

 

 

About the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

 

The Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is a private not-for-profit sports organisation established by Brazilian Olympic Confederations, the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee. Its mission is to promote, organise and deliver the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games, in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the Host City Contract, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the World Anti-Doping Agency, and under the Brazilian Law, the Olympic Charter and the IPC Handbook.

 

The Worldwide Olympic Partners who support the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games and the National Olympic Committees around the world are Coca-Cola, Atos, Dow, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Procter and Gamble, Samsung and Visa.

 

The Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games has five tier one partners (official sponsors) – Bradesco, Bradesco Seguros, Claro, Embratel and Nissan. There is one tier two supporter – Ernst & Young Terco.

 

Photos of the first day of the visit are available in the press section of the Rio 2016™ official website: www.rio2016.com/en/news/press-room/press-room-achive

 

 

For further information:
Rio 2016™ Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
www.rio2016.com
Media Relations
[email protected]
Tel: +55 21 3433 5826