Rio 2016 international media manager Philip Wilkinson tells Around the Rings that the city is hosting the first ever National Paralympic Committees "Open Day" on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Around 40 representatives from 18 NPCs will participate in the event which will include presentations and a tour of venues.
Rio predicts that over 4,200 athletes from 174 NPCs will participate in the 2016 Paralympic Games. Some 4,302 athletes from 164 NPCs participated in the 2012 London Paralympics.
The 2016 Rio Paralympics begin on September 7.
Tokyo Plans for Hydrogen Vehicle Use in 2020
The Tokyo metropolitan government is planning to use hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) to transport athletes at the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
A council will be formed this month with intent to launch a full-scale feasibility study on the use of hydrogen as fuel. FCVs run on a motor powered by electricity which is generated during chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen.
About 15,000 athletes are expected for the Games, and special lanes are planned which will connect the athletes’ village to competition venues and be usable solely by athletes and officials.
The government hopes use of the vehicles during the Games will give them a marketing boost overseas.
"Hydrogen could become a self-sufficient energy in the future, which would lead to solving energy problems," a government official told the Yomiuri Shimbun. "We’d like to build an athletes’ village that makes us believe a hydrogen-based society is truly coming."
USA Wrestling Names Rio Coach
A familiar face will handle coaching duties for USA Wrestling at Rio 2016.
Bruce Burnett, who led the squad from 1993 to 2000, will be the national freestyle coach at the next Summer Olympics.
According to USA Today, Burnett was initially contacted to help with the transition to a new coach before taking the role on himself.
Burnett coached the U.S. Naval Academy’s wrestling team for 13 years before retiring in September, after which he said he was "100 percent sure" his professional career was over.
Under his leadership, Team USA won nine medals, including four golds, at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
"Coach Burnett is considered by many as one of the top strategists ever in international wrestling," said USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender. "His proven ability to connect with elite-level wrestlers bodes well for Team USA heading into Rio.
"Our high expectations for this team just got higher."
Written byNicole Bennett and Nick Devlin
Homepage photo: Getty Images
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