Final Venue Preparations Highlight Busy March

(ATR) Olympic organizers push to finalize venue construction this month, as a full slate of test events continues.

Rio 2016 Executive Director of Sport Agberto Guimarães told Around the Rings venues need to be completed soon so that organizers can shift operations in the next month from Rio 2016 headquarters to the venues where teams will be working.

"On the side of the city, quite a bit of work needs to be done to finish the venues," Guimarães said. "As soon as they finish the inside of the venues, the outside is going to be easier for them to complete."

Major works that still have not been completed include the Velodrome, Aquatics Center, Main Press Center, and Tennis Center in the Olympic Park. At the Deodoro Olympic Park, the Youth Arena remains the only structure not fully completed.

In London, Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman will hold a media briefing on Mar. 3. The event is an opportunity for foreign media to get an update on Rio 2016 preparations.

As construction continues the next week will feature four test events scattered all over the Olympic city.

On Mar. 2-6, synchronized swimming will hold an Olympic qualification tournament at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center in the Olympic Park. Synchronized swimming is one of three Olympic sports that will be held at Maria Lenk in addition to diving and water polo.

International Aquatics Federation executive director Cornel Marculescu told ATR that after the synchronized swimming event the federation will meet with Rio 2016 to discuss any changes to the venue that are needed ahead of the Olympic Games. The changes will come on an operational side, as the schedule for events has already been decided.

On Mar. 5-6 Rugby will hold a test event in Deodoro. The international women’s sevens tournament will serve as a preview for when the sport reenters the Olympic program for the first time since 1924, albeit in a different form.

On Mar. 8, nine top Brazilian golfers will play the first Olympic course for the first time allowing organizers to test "99.9 percent of the venue." Golf featured in the 1900 and 1904 Olympics, and is reentering the program for the first time in over 100 years.

"We hope it helps create a legacy for Brazil by having Brazilian players compete in the test event," Ty Votaw, IGF Vice President, said to ATR.

On Mar. 8-9 Judo will hold a test event in Carioca Arena 1. Judo will be held at Carioca Arena 2 during the Games. Rio organizers say that testing in Arena 1 will provide just as much preparation as would holding tests in Arena 2.

"The arenas are pretty much the same in their format, so it doesn’t change much," Guimarães said to ATR. "We chose this one to test here to save some time and some money by putting the setup in one place, and the last one will be the same if we tested the original venue during the Games."

Below is a video of the current state of the Rio Olympic Park from the city government:

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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