Rio Chief: Olympic Deadlines Daunting
The head of Brazil’s Olympic Public Authority compares meeting Rio 2016 deadlines to "changing a tire on a car that’s moving."
Major General Fernando Azevedo e Silva, named to his post three months ago to coordinate the planning of the Games, said in a Sao Paulo newspaper on Monday that the deadlines are "very short."
IOC president Thomas Bach has a trip to Brazil scheduled for next week, where he will meet with President Dilma Rousseff, Olympic organizers, and government officials.
"We have one thing we can’t change: the date of the opening of the Olympics, August 5, 2016," said Silva. "Time will dictate the work."
That work has been plagued by construction delays, financial issues, and public protests. The country is also preparing for this year’s World Cup, which FIFA president Sepp Blatter said last week is the "farthest behind" he’s seen in four decades.
According to Silva, there is a major contrast between the two events.
"In the Olympics alone - not counting the Paralympics - there are 41 world championships held at the same time. The World Cup is one sport, soccer … We have technical requirements from each federation, each discipline."
Toronto Considers Olympic Bid
A 2013 feasibility study by Ernst and Young about a potential 2024 Toronto Olympic bid will be reviewed by an economic development committee next Monday.
The study was completed in November 2013, and concluded that it would cost Toronto around $60 million just to bid.
Toronto mayor Rob Ford shot down a 2020 bid from the Canadian city, and opponents cite massive costs as a reason the city should not bid. The Ernst and Young study said the 2024 Olympics could cost Toronto $7 billion.
The study cited an increase in Toronto’s brand and cultural capital, and the creation of 100 to 200 thousand jobs as positives for a 2024 bid.
Toronto previously bid for the 1996 and 2008 Olympics, losing to Atlanta and Beijing respectively.
Movers and Shakers
...Paula Kim has taken a position aspress manager for the figure skating and short track speed skatingvenues during the Sochi Games. Kim has previously worked with theInternational Triathlon Union.
...Lia Harvey is now a producer at Sky Sports News, handling the Olympics and cycling, among other sports news.
Written by Nick Devlin and Aaron Bauer
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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