All looking good for Rio Games, says Al Moutawakel, but hard work ahead
RIO DE JANEIRO: Never mind Brazil’s political meltdown, never mind the street protests, never mind the economic chaos, never mind questions over venue contracts . . . Rio 2016 will be a racing success according to Nawal Al Moutawakel writes KEIR RADNEDGE.
The chair of the International Olympic Committee’s co-ordination commission wound up its final pre-Games visit by stressing the positive after a three-day trip.
Her commission undertook a venue tour of the Olympic Park and Deodoro sites, a meeting with the three levels of Government (federal, state and city), and presentations by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee on the status of the preparations.
Across to the west, in the capital Brasilia, President Dilma Rousseff is facing a vote on impeachment with just about all her possible replacements also vulnerable to accusations over the massive bribery scandal at top political and business levels.
However El Moutawakel kept her focus on the Games themselves.
She said: “As we enter the final 114 days until the opening of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and despite the complex political and economic context, we are confident that Brazil and the Brazilians are on track to deliver successful Olympic Games with an outstanding legacy.
“The strong support from the local authorities, as well as the partnership and solidarity shown by the IOC, International Federations, National Olympic Committees, and other Olympic partners, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020, has been invaluable to the Rio organisers, as they finalise their preparations.”
But, El Moutawakel warned, “the last stretch is always the hardest [with] thousands of details still to manage. Their timely resolution will make the difference between average Games and great Games.”
She was confident that “the Rio 2016 team” at least was ready to rise to the challenge.
Rio 2016 president Carlos Arthur Nuzman assured the IOC panel that the venues are 98pc complete and that 33 test events had been greeted by positive feedback from the competitors.
He claimed a popular backing level for the Games of 70pc in Rio.
The Olympic flame will be lit on April 21 in Ancient Olympia and the torch relay will begin in Brazil on May 3. The Games will begin on August 5.
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