Resignation Sparks Rio 2016 Concerns; Oswald Urges Acceleration

(ATR) Rio 2016 preparations suffered a fresh blow after the head of the Olympic Public Authority (APO) quit, two weeks before the IOC Coordination Commission visits.

The Olympic city is already under intense scrutiny amid reports of venue delays and struggles to deliver transport infrastructure and accommodation in time for the Games.

Marcio Fortes, who was in charge of coordinating the work of government and stakeholders across the Rio 2016 project, submitted his resignation Wednesday. He claimed the APO had lost its influence, according to an Associated Press report, raising concerns about tensions between stakeholders and the pace of Games preparations. Fortes came to the position in June of 2011.

Rio 2016 tells Around the Rings the official announcement will come today. A spokesman clarified that the APO is not responsible for delivery of Olympic-related construction.

The IOC today issued a short statement on the resignation of the Fortes.

"We understand that Marcio Fortes has chosen to resign and would like to thank him for his work with the APO," the statement to ATR said.

"This is ultimately the responsibility of the Brazilian government, who we are confident will deliver upon its commitments to the Games."

The high-profile resignation is another cause for concern for the IOC, whose inspection team led by Nawal El Moutawakel visits Rio Sept. 1-2. After its last visit in February, the IOC noted solid progress but urged the organizing committee to accelerate construction efforts and work across the project.

Earlier this week, two members of the commission told ATR they expected the IOC visit to uncover more challenges.

IOC presidential candidate Denis Oswald told ATR Thursday that Rio 2016 was under pressure to ramp up preparations and prevent them from falling further behind.

Oswald, who headed the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2012 Olympics, admitted London’s journey was a lot smoother. "What we hear is there are some difficulties and some delays. I have not been there recently," he said.

"The IOC is confident things can be achieved and on time but it will certainly be a race against the clock as it was in Athens. At the end they staged excellent Games."

He added: "There is not a single day to lose."

Games organizers revealed earlier this month that the operating budget has increased. Leo Gryner, COO of Rio 2016, said that $700 million more from the original bid budget might be required, revealing that the budget could rise to $4 billion.

Police Clash with Protesters

Protesters and police clashed in a Rio de Janeiro slum on Tuesday.

The protests, much like the ones in the lead up and during the Confederations Cup, covered a range of issues. According to the Associated Press, some of the protesters were calling for an investigation into corruption concerns relating to the Rio 2016 Olympics, and Rio de Janeiro governor Sergio Cabral.

Damage from the protests included three burned busses and a damaged police car, the city’s police force said in a statement.

44 Paralympians Selected for Scholarships

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff unveiled the names of 44 Brazilian Paralympians who will be the recipients of a funding scheme for the 2016 Paralympics.

The list was unveiled recently in the Palácio do Planalto, in Brasilia, the official residence of the president of Brazil.

The "Bolsa Podio" program will give scholarships between $2,000 USD and $7,000 to Brazilian Paralympians, and is part of larger $17 million funding program for the Paralympics in the lead up to Rio 2016.

Written by Mark Bisson.

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