Hockey, Rugby Seek to Lock Down Rio Venues; New Organizing Committee HQ

(ATR) International Hockey Federation (FIH) CEO Kelly Fairweather tells Around the Rings he hopes an FIH board meeting this week will deliver "closure" on controversial venue plans for the Rio Olympics.

FIH officials have been trying to lock down a venue plan since Rio 2016 officials presented a relocation proposal during the IOC Session in London last summer, which both surprised and angered them. It calls for the Olympic Hockey Center to be moved from the Olympic Park to the outskirts of Rio in the Deodoro Zone.

Rio 2016 sport director Agberto Guimarães will present details of the new plan to rehouse hockey to an FIH board meeting in Lausanne on Friday.

He is also expected to provide information on the development of a transport plan linking the Deodoro Zone to the main Olympic hub. That’s a journey of up to 40 minutes.

"Hopefully we can get some closure on this on Friday. Everyone needs to move on," Fairweather told ATR.

"The timelines are getting pretty tight."

Fairweather noted there were just three years and four months until the 2016 Games opened but hockey test events had to be run the year before.

He added: "We need to move on and make a decision."

The FIH meeting to finalize venue plans comes a month after the IOC Coordination Commission visit to the 2016 Olympics host city.

In the wake of the inspection, IOC Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli told ATR that other possible venue changes for Rio 2016 included moving rugby to the Deodoro complex.

Rio’s rugby venue proposal is on the agenda for the International Rugby Board meeting on Thursday.

ATR understands that the IRB has no major concerns about the plan, which is one of a number of venue options currently being explored.

An alternative is to stage Rugby Sevens Olympic debut tournament at the main stadium.

The IRB told ATR it was working closely with Rio 2016 and the IOC to find "the most appropriate venue that is good for the Games".

New Rio 2016 Offices

Rio 2016 moved into new office space.

The new address is Rua Ulysses Guimarães, 2016. No other company will be able to use the address following the Games. The "2016" designation was created specifically for the organizing committee.

One of the first visitors was Rio 2016 Coordination Commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel. She paid a visit Monday while in town for the Laureus Sports Awards.

Joining Rio 2016 in the building, located near Maracana Stadium, will be the municipal government’s Olympic office.

Reported by Mark Bisson.

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