IOC Coordination Commission Sees Solid Progress As Rio 2016 Prepares For 21 Test Events In 2015

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission saw solid progress being made during its eighth visit (23 to 25 February) to the 2016 host city of Rio de Janeiro. Sports venues are taking shape and numerous engagement initiatives like ticketing, volunteering and the Olympic Torch Relay are up and running. These positive developments come at a time when the Rio organisers are entering the operational phase of the project. This stage of preparations will see Rio 2016 and its partners increase their activity significantly, as they reach a new level of detail in their Games planning, while simultaneously delivering 21 test events.

Maracana Stadium, photo credit around the rings 1992
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2435/3945252406_a9ef27b57d_o_d.jpg

The Commission was also joined for part of its visit by IOC President Thomas Bach, who led a delegation, including Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel, to meet Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who again pledged full support for the Games from “every level and ministry of [her] government as well as from State and City authorities.” Bach also participated in a meeting with Rio State Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, and Brazilian Minister of Sports George Hilton, and joined the Commission on a tour of the Barra Olympic Park.

Speaking at the end of the visit, Commission Chair El Moutawakel said: “We were pleased to be able to show President Bach that good progress has been made on the Rio 2016 Games. The advancements made on both the Barra and Deodoro Olympic Parks were very encouraging, with both areas on track to leave fantastic legacies to the people of Rio and the athletes of Brazil. However, the Rio team is now entering the most intense phase in the preparation for the Games, as they reach a new level of detail while planning numerous test events.”

She continued: “With 21 test events planned for this year and a significant number of the world’s best athletes coming to Rio to try the venues, Rio 2016 will have a lot to deliver while still preparing for the Games. We were pleased to see that Rio and its government partners have put in place structures that will allow them to deal with what will be an intense year ahead, filled with thousands of details that will need to be dealt with before the Games. They will also need to ensure that the venues are delivered in time to host the test events. The golf course, velodrome and equestrian cross-country venues all have very aggressive timelines that will need to be met over the coming months.”

The participation of the government partners’ leaders in the meetings with the Commission underlined the support of Brazil for the Games, and the Commission thanked each of them for their commitment to the project. This unity shown by the government partners with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee pleased the IOC group, which emphasised the importance of having an integrated approach to the delivery of the Games, especially during a period which is as intense as the coming 17 months. This interaction will be facilitated now that all three levels of government will have a member on the Organising Committee’s board, leading to greater transparency and cooperation.

During the meetings, the Commission highlighted a number of areas of focus for the local organisers, including accommodation and transport, where a significant amount of work needs to be completed this year to ensure that the Games experience is delivered at the highest level for the athletes, participants and spectators.

The President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, said: “It was our pleasure to receive the IOC President, Thomas Bach, together with the members of the Coordination Commission. As we move at high speed from the planning to the execution phase of the project, we are dedicated to delivering on our vision for the Games. In a project of this magnitude, some obstacles will always exist, but with the help of our partners at the IOC and the three levels of government, we will overcome them. Our joint commitment to deliver excellent Games with memorable celebrations is stronger now than ever.”

Rio 2014 Test Event – Aquece Rio Day 1-2 Photo credit ISAF

The Commission was pleased to hear from the Rio organisers that support for the Games remains strong across Brazil and that a number of engagement initiatives had been launched since its last visit, such as ticket sign-up, volunteer recruitment, the mascots and the Olympic Torch Relay. This nationwide engagement will now increase over the coming months, with ticket sales expected to begin in late March, the volunteer programme to enter its training phase, torchbearer applications to open later in the year, Rio’s cultural programme to get underway, the Rio education programme to continue to grow across the country, test events to bring sport to the host city, and the one-year-to-go celebrations to give us all a glimpse of the atmosphere that can be expected in 2016. These initiatives will give all Brazilians the opportunity to participate in the Games, just as in 2016 when events like the marathon, triathlon, rowing, road cycling and marathon swimming will give every Brazilian a chance to see the Olympic athletes in action.

During its meetings, the Coordination Commission also received updates from the organisers and their partners in areas such as athlete and National Olympic Committee (NOC) services, sport and International Federation services, media operations, spectators, transport, test events, marketing, technology and the Paralympic Games.

The Commission will return to Rio de Janeiro in August this year.

A Royal Countdown To Lillehammer 2016 – One Year To Go!

Celebrations to mark one year to go to the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lillehammer 2016 were kicked off last night in the heart of the host city by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway as he unveiled the OMEGA countdown clock showing 365 days to go.

This ceremony was the start of several days of festivities in Lillehammer, Hamar and Gjøvik, the three locations that will host the sports and “Learn and share” activities during the Games from 12 to 21 February 2016.

During the unveiling of the clock, the Crown Prince was joined by IOC Vice-President Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC member and Chair of the Coordination Commission Angela Ruggiero, and Norwegian Minister for Culture Thorhild Widvey. Nawal El Moutawakel said: “This is truly a Games by young people for young people and a big thank-you goes to the tremendous efforts of the young and talented local Organising Committee. With its exciting sports and unique spirit, this will certainly be a wonderful and unforgettable YOG.”

Earlier in the day, El Moutawakel and Ruggiero took part in an action-packed programme that included a school sports day and a session on the ice, where Olympic ice hockey champion Ruggiero provided a coaching session to local youngsters.

Festivities will continue in the coming days with cultural spectacles in the region, a YOG-themed ice hockey match, and the “Sjogg Film Festival” in the centre of the city for the public to enjoy. Sjogg, the Norwegian word for snow, is the name of the Lillehammer 2016 mascot.

Lillehammer 2016 CEO Tomas Holmestad said: “Every one of the next 365 days now counts to making Lillehammer 2016 a huge success. We have an amazing team of young, talented staff and I know we will deliver a unique Winter Youth Olympic Games. We have an Olympic Games legacy under our belts, and now we will create the legacy of Lillehammer 2016.”

Siri Hatlen Chair of the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games (c)IOC/Juilliart

Lillehammer 2016 is the second edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games. The event will feature over 1,000 top athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 from over 70 countries. The athletes will compete in the same seven sports as those on the Olympic programme, with some new additions and different formats included. Monobob, snowboard cross and cross-country cross are new additions to the programme and the popular mixed-gender and mixed-National Olympic Committee competitions will also take place.

The athletes will participate in a Learn and Share Programme featuring fun and engaging activities designed to provide guidance on a wide range of topics, including the Olympic values, the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately how to be true champions on and off the field of play.

IOC Coordination Commission Leaves Rio Satisfied With Progress

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission brought to a close its seventh visit (29 September to 1 October) to the South American host city today: it follows a successful winter here for Brazil and for the country’s preparations for the Olympic Games, which included the FIFA World Cup, Rio 2016’s first test event, the Rio 2016 World Press Briefing and the Rio 2016 World Broadcasters Meeting. The Commission left Rio satisfied with the progress that the Rio organisers have made since their last visit in March this year.

As part of its three days of meetings, the Commission visited the Olympic Golf Course, the Olympic Village, the Deodoro Olympic Park, and the Barra Olympic Park, where they were joined by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Nawal El Moutawakel. photo credit, golfe.esp.br

Speaking at the end of the visit, Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel said: “We leave Rio satisfied with the progress that has been made since our visit last March. The strong commitment of the Brazilian authorities to the success of the Rio 2016 Games has been underlined to us by the presence of President Rousseff during our visit to the Olympic Park yesterday. We remain confident that, despite a very tight schedule, our Brazilian partners will deliver successful Games.”

She continued: “As we enter the final two years of preparations, we are able to see that the core works are progressing at full speed, particularly in venue construction, where we have been receiving solid development reports. We were also able to see first-hand the advancements being made, during our venue tour on Tuesday. Rio 2016 has begun to engage in earnest with the public this winter and we were able to take stock of what has already been done. We were pleased to hear that this engagement will continue with upcoming events like ticket sign-up, mascot launch, the Cultural Olympiad and test events.”

The next big milestone for the Rio 2016 organisers is the delivery of their ambitious test event programme, which will see 44 sports events take place in Rio ahead of the Games. The Organising Committee is advancing full speed ahead towards these events, and, in order to be prepared in the best fashion, the Commission reviewed with the organisers all the areas that are presenting concerns or that require particular attention.

Two areas that were looked at very closely were construction and accommodation. Rio 2016 and its Government partners outlined in detail the progress being made on the development of the venues and infrastructure that will be required for the Games. Although the schedule remains tight, the Rio team clearly demonstrated that they had the situation under control, with good progress being made. They also discussed their continued efforts to reinforce their dialogue with the International Federations on venue development.

Accommodation was always going to be a challenge with the large number of hotels that have to be built ahead of the Games, but very clear and reassuring information was provided to the Commission that the 68 new hotels under construction were on track.

The President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, said: “Our commitment to our mission of organising excellent Games with memorable celebrations remains intact. With the IOC’s guidance and the help of our sponsors, we have the confidence we need. It is very rewarding when we look around and see our partners from the city, state and federal governments, building the Games with us.”

The Commission also heard from Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão, and General Fernando Azevedo E Silva from the Olympic Public Authority (APO) about the strong legacy that the Games are leaving to the city, country and its citizens. For every Brazilian Real spent on venue construction, five Reals are being spent on legacy projects including three bus rapid transit lines, a new metro, improved sanitation system coverage, better flood control, a city operations centre, and the regeneration of the city’s port area.

The group underlined the fiscally responsible approach that was being taken, with a large part of the overall infrastructure and legacy budgets being financed by private funds. They also spoke about their commitment to deliver the venues on time with no “white elephants.”

During its meetings, the Coordination Commission received updates from the organisers and their partners in areas such as athlete and National Olympic Committee (NOC) services, sport and International Federation services, media operations, spectators, transport, test events, marketing and the Paralympic Games.

The Commission will return to Rio de Janeiro in February next year.

Swedish ice hockey player Nicklas Backstrom to receive Sochi silver medal

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced a decision in the case of Swedish ice hockey player Nicklas Backstrom who participated in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Backstrom, 26, tested positive on 19 February for the presence of pseudoephedrine (PSE) in excess of the applicable decision limit of 170 µg/mL. He was provisionally suspended from competing in the final of the men’s ice hockey competition between Sweden and Canada.

The IOC Disciplinary Commission (DC), composed of Anita L. DeFrantz (Chairperson), Nawal El Moutawakel and Claudia Bokel, found that the provisional suspension was fully justified, not only due to the presence in excess of the applicable decision limit of PSE in his urine sample, but also due to the fact that the athlete conceded at the hearing, which took place shortly before the final match, that he had also taken medication containing PSE earlier that day.

The IOC DC took into account in particular that the athlete had been cooperative, had disclosed the medication in question in the doping control form and had relied on the specific advice of his team doctor that the intake of the medication would not give rise to an adverse analytical finding. There was also no indication of any intent of the athlete to improve his performance by taking a prohibited substance. Based upon these mitigating circumstances, the IOC DC considered that the athlete should be entitled to receive the silver medal and diploma awarded for men’s ice hockey.

Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, testing took place under the IOC’s auspices from 30 January (the date of the opening of the Olympic Villages) to 23 February 2014 (the date of the Closing Ceremony). Within that period, the IOC systematically performed tests before and after events and oversaw the most stringent anti-doping programme in Olympic Winter Games history. In total, 2,667 tests were conducted, surpassing the previous record set at Vancouver 2010 by 518 tests. Of the 2,667 tests, 477 were blood tests and 2,190 were urine tests.