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Rio 2016 Preparations - Venue & Infrastructure Developments


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IOC tightens control over Rio 2016 Games preparations

(Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee announced a series of measures including a stronger presence in Rio de Janeiro to monitor progress and speed up lagging preparations for the 2016 Olympics, president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday.

Preparations for the 2016 Games, the first on the South American continent, have been plagued by delays, rising costs and bad communication between different levels of the Brazilian government and organisers.

International federations this week also criticised the Brazilian government for what they said were constant delays and problems in communicating efficiently with the Games organising committee.

"We had the meeting (on Thursday) in a very constructive atmosphere with our partners from Rio," Bach told a news conference in Turkey at the end of a two-day executive board meeting.

"We then took some decisions about ... how we can accelerate one way or another the works in Rio and how we can work even closer with the organising committee and the different levels of government."

Among the measures agreed are the setting up of a decision-making body involving the government, the IOC and organisers so decisions are taken faster, and sending the IOC's Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli to Rio sooner than initially planned.

The frequency of assessment visits will also be increased, and the IOC will also hire local project managers for the day-to-day execution of the plans and send specialised task forces consisting of experts to look into specific issues. These will be appointed in the coming weeks, Bach said.

SUCCESSFUL GAMES

"What I can categorically say is that we will do everything possible to make these Games a success," Bach, elected to this position in September, said when asked whether he could guarantee the 2016 Games would be held in Rio and the Brazilian city would not lose the Olympics.

"One of the measures is that Mr Felli will concentrate more on Rio than it was previously planned." He is expected to go to Rio in the coming week instead of a planned trip in July.

Bach said organisers and the Mayor of Rio had been informed of the measures and welcomed them.

"This is not about giving out (yellow) cards. This is about ensuring success of these Games. We still believed these Games can be very successful and we are undertaking all measures to make these Games successful.

"You have to take positive action and this is what we are doing with the measures I just outlined. This is not about the past but about 2016. We have to look into future and not starting the blame game for the past."

Although Rio won the right to host the event in 2009, construction work at venues where eight events will take place has yet to start and the pace of progress at others is slow.

Sailors have criticized the filthy waters where the sailing events will take place and strikes have crippled some projects.

Shots were fired on Monday after construction workers downed tools and blocked roads outside the Olympic Park, one of the main venues.

"We need all our energy because we share the concerns. What we are doing is to show ways with our experience in organising Games how the different levels of government can work better together, how seamless cooperation can be ensured.

"Once after the closing ceremony of successful Rio Games we can come back to this question (of who is to blame) and speak about the responsibility. Now we will not act in a responsible way if we look too much into the past."

Reuters

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Thirdly. About World Cup, FIFA DID POSTPONED FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS AND HALF the choosing of host cities, and FIFA knew that due Brazilian law, no stadium or other works could get financing without the confirmation of being a host city/assignment for it. Yes, FIFA should be blamed for that, because they reduced the time of works from 7 to 5 years (still enough time to complete all promised and from here, it starts the guilty of inefficient Brazilian bereaucracy and stupid justice system that stop works for any small reason or after accidents happens).

You can't blame FIFA for that because no one forced Brazilians not to choose the cities themselves earlier. As far as I've understood it was due to the corrupt Teixeira's politics and insistence on choosing 12 host cities when it is obvious that 9 or 10 would have been more ideal. Brazil went to the election unopposed so there was plenty of time, much more than with any other WC host since 1982, which makes these delays even more incomprehensible. Even South Africa fared much better with their preparations.

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O Globo reports IOC concerns about Rio preps. Mayor Eduardo Paes follows Dilma´s path in reacting to FIFA´s regarding delays and more delays througouth the country for the WC. That´s very bad. The correct thing to do is accept things are not at the ideal level and start doing whatever is necessary to fix. But talking about public money investment in WC and IOC makes voters uneasy And Brasil is having ellections this year. Not that good scenario.

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You can't blame FIFA for that because no one forced Brazilians not to choose the cities themselves earlier. As far as I've understood it was due to the corrupt Teixeira's politics and insistence on choosing 12 host cities when it is obvious that 9 or 10 would have been more ideal. Brazil went to the election unopposed so there was plenty of time, much more than with any other WC host since 1982, which makes these delays even more incomprehensible. Even South Africa fared much better with their preparations.

Ok Reindeer, I will not discuss this anymore.

Based on what, Tony? Every IF except one complaining? And yes Deodoro has NOTHING going on and it's in the worst shape, but most of the rest of the venues have problems too. A dip in Guanabara Bay anyone?

The IOC has intentionally downplayed the severity of the situation partly because they realized how much their negative publicity hurt the Greeks, especially where ticket sales and attendance were concerned.

You should cite some concrete facts supporting your opinion that Rio is better prepared now than Athens was at the two year mark.

Apologies. Intended to address the above to Danny. Habit, I suppose.

Yes, you are right I'm wrong, just go ahead I'm reading everything and will not post my POV anymore...

:)

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Yes, you are right I'm wrong, just go ahead I'm reading everything and will not post my POV anymore...

:)

Danny, that's silly. I'm asking you to explain why you think Rio is in better shape than Athens. I'm asking for some kind of support or evidence for your argument because at this time the evidence seems to be pointing the other way. I am not asking you to stop posting.

Also, just to be clear, I don't think anyone is happy to learn that Rio is struggling. We all hope the Games will be a success, but some of this recent news is worrisome.

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it would be interesting to see a games actually collapse due to poor preparation and unreadiness but that never really happens. EVERY run up brings the same doomsday predictions, one never sees the tragedy predicted.

Guanabara bay does seem disgusting however.

guanabara-bay-pollution.jpg

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baia_de_guanabara.png

<_<

2435-1-1000.jpg

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I agree with Paul. Look at the build up to Beijing 2008, with the torch relay, the pollution and the Human Rights, but Beijing in the end staged a magnificent Games and the same goes for Sochi. I don't have any doubt that Rio will stage a good Games, but they are severely delayed. It's manic on SSC. They can't face the truth.

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Rio Mayor: IOC to Be a "Permanent Presence" Ahead of Olympics

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party - PMDB), said on Thursday that he welcomes the presence of members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the ongoing construction work ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

Paes said that the IOC presence would help to "focus efforts on the task in hand."

"I like the way the IOC work. They maintain a permanent presence. They are always on hand, checking up on things, visiting construction sites. FIFA never went to see the Transcarioca works," said Paes, referring to the Transcarioca Bus Rapid Transit route which will connect Barra da Tijuca with the Galeão International Airport.

He admitted to concerns regarding the work on the Deodoro Olympic Park, the construction rights to which will be auctioned off next week. While Paes assures that everything is running on schedule, he admits that "there's no time to waste."

INTERVENTION

Following a series of criticisms from international federations regarding progress on the works for the Olympics, the IOC announced on Thursday that it would intervene.

One of the measures announced was the appointment of a monitor to assist the local organizing committee, Gilbert Felli. Felli will go to Rio sooner than had originally been anticipated in order to deal with delays in construction work, and help resolve the "political paralysis" which, for the IOC, is obstructing preparation for the event and ultimately threatens to derail it altogether.

"We need to focus on the task in hand. [] Felli will come and accompany the work closely, and inform the federation presidents of the progress. But when the IOC was here a few weeks ago there was none of this hysteria about the federations," said Paes, who blamed the complaints on a miscommunication regarding the progress of construction work.

Felli is due to come to Rio on April 22 and 23. It has yet to be determined how often members of the IOC will visit the city and it remains unclear how their presence will help to accelerate the construction projects.

Paes said that the decision to bring Felli to Rio was a joint one. He said he had offered to go to Lausanne to talk directly with the federation presidents, but instead agreed to the IOC coming to Rio. "I love having the IOC here, this way we can avoid misunderstandings."

Paes also revealed that the federation presidents have been insisting upon the construction of expensive arenas for the games. However, he said that he would try to economize as much as possible in the construction work.

"The president of the rugby federation wants a big stadium. But I don't think it's fair to spend public money on a sport which isn't very well known. The stadium will be fit for purpose, and it will meet international criteria. But here we don't have Chinese standards," he said, referring to the Beijing Olympics of 2008. "The federations have to understand that we won't build any white elephants."

Paes said that the Deodoro complex will cost nearly R$900 million (USD $411 million), and that there can be no question of delays.

In an interview Folha published on Thursday, Sidney Levy, the director-general of the Rio 2016 organizing committee, said that "criticisms are all part and parcel of the game." He said that the construction work is on schedule, and that if the committee gave in to the demands of all the federations, it would go bust.

http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/sports/olympicgames/2014/04/1439111-rio-mayor-ioc-to-be-a-permanent-presence-ahead-of-olympics.shtml

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/\/\ Where in heaven's name did u find those photos, Paul??? :lol:

Any search of Guanabara brings up hundreds of pics like this. And the pics are all from this year. The worst part is probably the bacteria you can't even see, I wouldn't want to sail there.

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Rio de Janeiro Formula E Grand Prix cancelled

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has today decided that the FIA Formula E Championship event scheduled for Rio de Janeiro on 15 November 2014 is cancelled, and replaced with an event to be announced for the date of 14 February 2015. The event in Los Angeles (USA) will be held on 4 April 2015.

The Rio event was initially announced as season opener, but was then removed and when the official calendar was released in December 2014, the race in Brazil was scheduled to take place mid-November this year.

The reason for removing Rio de Janeiro from the calendar has not been published. Formula E promises to announce the replacing hosting city soon.

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Rio de Janeiro vows clean-up of Olympic sailing venue

The venue was last month described as a sewer by Britain's Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medallist Ian Barker due to its high levels of rubbish and stench, reports Xinhua. Rio de Janeiro's state government Thursday said it would contract seven "ecoboats" to skim garbage off the water's surface.

"Are we going to improve the quality of the water? No. But we will decrease the risk that rubbish could affect the competition," Rio's environment secretary Carlos Coutinho said.

The government insists that Guanabara Bay's water quality does not pose a health risk to athletes. But Coutinho admitted dirty water at the nearby Gloria marina and Botafogo bay, where competing vessels will be docked before racing, remains a concern. Rio's government says it has treated about 40 percent of sewage in municipalities surrounding Guanabara bay. During Rio's candidature in 2009, officials promised to treat at least 80 percent of wastewater by the time the Olympics begin Aug 5, 2016.

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Danny, that's silly. I'm asking you to explain why you think Rio is in better shape than Athens. I'm asking for some kind of support or evidence for your argument because at this time the evidence seems to be pointing the other way. I am not asking you to stop posting.

I was actually agreeing to you, simply like that.

Also, just to be clear, I don't think anyone is happy to learn that Rio is struggling. We all hope the Games will be a success, but some of this recent news is worrisome.

Not sure about that Tony, but he is a lost case. Nobody likes him here, so, whatever...
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