IOC Holds Rio 2016 Crisis Talks with Federations

(ATR) IOC officials are meeting with the 28 summer Olympic sports and Rio 2016 on Tuesday to hammer out solutions to budget cuts impacting Games preparations.

Leaders of the IFs are braced for bad news about cutbacks to their venues, including seating being slashed, and sports presentation programs.

IOC sport director Kit McConnell, his Rio 2016 counterpart Agberto Guimarães and Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi are expected to lay bare the financial crisis as Rio 2016 scales down Olympic plans to balance the operating budget of $1.85 billion.

Federations will be asked to analyse where cost reductions can be made and to make a greater contribution to Games preparations, as Brazil struggles to come to terms with its worst recession since the 1930s.

Speaking exclusively to ATR in Los Angeles on Monday, where he was meeting 2024 Olympic bid leaders, IOC president Thomas Bach said the financial crisis in Brazil was beyond the influence and control of the organizing committee."The Olympic movement will show solidarity with the Brazilians in order to achieve a balanced budget which will then serve as a solid foundation for the next seven months to have finally successful and excellent Olympic Games in Brazil," he said.

The impact of the Zika virus on Games preparations will also be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.

Last night, the Brazilian government ruled out cancelling the Rio Olympics because of the mosquito-borne virus, saying there was no risk to athletes and visitors. But pregnant women have been warned not to attend the Olympics; the Zika virus is suspected of causing birth defects. The World Health Organization had earlier declared the virus an international public health emergency.

Commenting on Tuesday’s meeting with the IFs, the IOC downplayed the crisis talks.

ATR is told that the federations' meeting with the IOC and Rio 2016 organisers is "to discuss key areas of Games planning related to sport, venues and IF planning".

"The meeting is part of the close ongoing dialogue between the IOC, Rio 2016 and each of the IFs," spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau told ATR.

"Olympic Agenda 2020 recommends enhancing the role of IFs in the planning and delivery of the Olympic Games, and we are looking to maximize their involvement as we go into the final months of Games planning and delivery ahead of what we are sure will be an outstanding Olympic Games in Rio."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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