NOCs Begin Final Detail Preparation for Rio -- On the Scene

(ATR) Mario Cilenti, Rio 2016 director of relations for national Olympic committees, tells Around the Ringsit is "now about the details" for delegations finalizing Rio 2016 preparations.

Two hundred one out of 206 NOCs were in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 17-20 to attend the final chef de mission’s seminar ahead of the Games. While in Rio, the chefs de mission could also meet one on one with pertinent departments such as logistics and hospitality to help finalize plans for the delegations in South America next year.

"These people here have a responsibility to take all the information back to their own NOCs and spread that to the national federations and of course to the athletes," Cilenti told ATR.

"It is really the finite details that they are looking for right now. The chefs are very pleased with the progress and are getting good positive feedback from their athletes. So we are on the right track."

For chefs de mission in Rio, the progress the organizing committee has made in preparing for the Games, was a standout from the trip.

"The meetings were productive across all the functional areas we learned a lot of how we can we can move everything into the environment swiftly," Mark England, the chef de mission from Great Britain, said to ATR.

"I think with one year to go, all the NOCs were hugely impressed with the progress that has been made, I think that Rio de Janeiro promises to be an exciting Games."

Mohammed Al-Cabala, the chef de mission from Qatar, said how impressed he was with overall progress of Games preparations.

"I’ve been to three or four Olympics, and it is the first time the Olympic Village is in this level of preparation close to 90 percent ready," Al-Cabala said to ATR.

"the venues are at a really advanced level in being ready for the Games, and this is something the organizing committee should be proud of, and we are happy to see."

Ron Waddell the chef de mission from New Zealand says that despite travelling here five or six times, the perspectives gained from the recent seminar is helping the delegation plan for 2016.

"We’ve done lots of little important learning, whether it is about freight or travel, or just learning about travel around the city," Waddell said to ATR.

"It has been a really good trip to see progress, and we are happy with how it is progressing and the organizing committee is doing a fantastic job."

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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