IAAF Chief Predicts Unforgettable Rio 2016 Athletics -- On the Scene

(ATR) Sebastian Coe says the spectacle of athletics at the Rio Games will be an event to tell "your children and grandchildren" about.

Speaking in Rio on Sunday, Coe said some of the best track-and-field stars ever will be competing at the 2016 Olympics, making the athletics program a must-see at the Games. The IAAF chief chose to focus on the positives of Rio 2016 rather than the current doping scandal engulfing athletics.

"When there are a lot of people in here, and they do need to buy tickets, they will have the opportunity in this city to see not just the best athletes of their generation but some of the best athletes in the history of our sport," Coe told reporters.

"Do not miss out on the opportunity to be able to say to your children and grandchildren that you were in the stadium when Usain Bolt competed in his last Olympic Games."

Coe visited the athletics test event on May 15 and remained in Rio until Monday. The 2016 Ibero-American Championships is serving as the sport’s Olympic warm-up event in Rio de Janeiro, with nearly 400 athletes from 26 countries taking part.

Coe said he did not feel it was appropriate to comment on the current situation regarding Russia's efforts to revamp its tarnished anti-doping system to regain IAAF membership as an evaluation report on the country's athletics federation will be delivered by an IAAF task force on June 17 in Vienna. Russia has been suspended by the IAAF since November 2015 after a report from the World Anti-Doping Agency revealed systematic state-sponsored doping.

Earlier in the day Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko wrote in the Sunday Times that "serious mistakes had been made" by the Russian athletics federation. He said the country apologized for its actions and was working hard to achieve compliance with the IAAF and WADA to have the international suspension lifted. Mutko added that "it would be unjust to demand all these changes and measures, witness them happen, and then still punish Russia's athletes."

Responding to Mutko's comments, Coe told Around the Ringshe had been traveling and had not seen them.

"I’m going to wait for the task force to come and report back to us," Coe said of the current situation. "I think it would be inappropriate at this moment for me to start making judgments before I heard what they had to say."

Coe said he had a good overall first impression of the Rio athletics test event. He said the most important aspect will be when IAAF technical delegates review what went right and wrong at the event.

Mixed Feedback from Athletes

Athletes told ATR they thought the track currently laid at the Engenhão stadium was of Olympic quality, but they reported mixed experiences about the event's organization.

Brandon Johnson, an U.S. 800m runner, told ATR the event appeared as close to Olympic-level organization as possible. He was happy with his results, and said he expects many world records to fall in Rio because the track runs very quick.

"This is going to be a big Olympic Games, I’m excited," Johnson said. "There is still a lot of construction going on, but as far as the competition area where we will warm up and compete in, I think it is fine."

Carol Rodriguez of Puerto Rico had a contrasting view. She told ATR that she received multiple miscommunications about her race time and was assigned the wrong lane for the women’s 400m final.

Rodriguez was also shocked by how Engenhão was not fitted with the look of the Games with just over 80 days until the Olympics.

"The organization is bad; it is really bad," Rodriguez said. "I had the coach tell me last night my race was at 6:15 pm, and then today they changed it at the last minute. I was still in my hotel, so I had 15 minutes to come down here and was rushing everything.

"The event is very disorganized, and they should not change the heat and the time the day of a meet. I just know for the Olympics I know they can’t be a race change or time change the day of."

Rio 2016 sports director Agberto Guimarães told ATRhe had not heard anything about race times being adjusted during the meet. He said that if athletes had experienced this or were upset about the schedule, their feedback would be taken into account.

"Of course nothing like that should happen ever, and it won’t happen during the Games," Guimarães said.

"I think we are having the right direction. I would say the teams have a good knowledge of the overall [plans], and I think now we will refine all the operations. This stadium is going to be amazing, and when you guys come back here for the Games you will say, ‘Wow, how did you get here?’"

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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