IOC Chief Quizzed About Rio Olympic Problems

(ATR) Thomas Bach dismisses concerns around ticket sales, the Zika virus and cutbacks on venues, saying he has confidence in Rio 2016 delivering.

Speaking at a press conference wrapping a two-day executive board meeting in Lausanne, the IOC chief was grilled about problems dogging the Olympic project.

Asked if he would like to have seen faster ticket sales than the 47 percent racked up so far, leaving more than 3.7 million still to shift, Bach insisted he had no worries "because this is a different culture".

"Brazilians do not buy tickets at such an early stage as the British are doing or the Germans would do. We had comparable figures before Athens and other Olympic Games," he told reporters.

"Given the great support of the Olympic Games by Brazilians, I have no doubt when the time comes these numbers will increase."

The organizing committee is having to make savings of $231 million across an array of projects. These include downsizing some facilities such as the rowing venue to save money.

Instead of the 25,000 seats for rowing at London 2012, Rio 2016 decided on 14,000, but that number has now been slashed to 6,000.

Bach described the reduction in seating capacities as part of the "solidarity effort we have been undertaking with IFs and NOCs" to trim costs, standing "side by side with our Brazilian partners to address this exceptional situation in an exceptional way".

"We had different meetings and they all showed understanding and realized that these measures will in the end not affect the athletes experience, field of play or spectators," he explained.

He also said rowing’s seating capacity should reflect the popularity in Brazil.

Aside from the delayed velodrome, facilities were coming together. He noted that the Olympic Village would be handed over to the organizing committee this month.

Rio 2016’s marketing revenues have not lived up to expectations. But Bach said the issue was country-specific.

"The Olympic Games are not living on an island. Marketing is more difficult in a country of such a crisis like in Brazil. I think under these circumstances the organizing committee has done a very good job."

On the infrastructure side, Bach also expressed confidence the troubled subway No.4 line, linking Ipanema to Barra Olympic Park, would be delivered in July as scheduled.

Bach praised Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman and his team. Nuzman presented an update in person to the IOC’s ruling body, while mayor Eduardo Paes and Rio 2016 Sidney Levy chimed in via video link.

Rio 2016 offered "a very comprehensive, clear and encouraging report".

Bach was asked by a journalist if Brazil’s struggle to keep Games preparations on track was one of the biggest challenges he’d seen for an Olympics. He chose to put a positive spin on the scramble to finish the job amid the country’s financial and political upheaval.

"We have not only sympathy but also show our solidarity. The achievements made by the organising committee are even more remarkable during this crisis time," he said.

On the Zika virus, Bach said he had received fresh assurances that there would be no significant threat to the Olympics by one official at the World Health Organization (WHO) who told him that "Rio is not one of the hot spots for the Zika mosquito virus and expressed confidence in safe and successful Olympic Games".

He confirmed that during the Games, Rio 2016 will offer daily updates via an app, especially to athletes, "where they can get information and advice about precautionary measures".

Overall, Bach gave Rio 2016 the thumbs up. "With this spirit of confidence we will go Ancient Olympia on April 21 and ignite the Olympic flame."

He said the flame’s mammoth trek around Brazil "will be the start of a very emotional journey to a very emotional Olympic Games".

PyeongChang and Tokyo Games

There were few questions and Bach said little about preparations for the 2018 and 2020 Olympics.

He noted the "great success" of test events in PyeongChang: "Everyone is happy, federations and athletes."

On Tokyo: "We continue to be more than pleased with progress being made in the different fields."

John Coates, the IOC’s watchdog chief for Tokyo 2020, told Around the Rings earlier in the day that Games organizers were making solid progress now that the timetable was in place for a new Olympic stadium. He said the new logo would likely be revealed in April.

Bach on FIFA Cleanup

The IOC president addressed last Friday’s FIFA Congress in Zurich and today expressed satisfaction with the election of Gianni Infantino as Sepp Blatter’s replacement.

"I am sure the new leadership will implement the reforms having been approved by the FIFA congress," he told the press conference. "We have noted the determination of president Infantino to implement all these reforms with regard to ethics and good governance."

Camiel Eurlings Case

Bach said there was "no reason" to refer serious assault allegations against the IOC member from the Netherlands to the ethics commission.

The 42-year-old, one of the IOC’s rising stars, had informed the committee of the allegations concerning an assault last July which was filed by his former girlfriend.

Bach described it as "a private dispute and this dispute is ongoing. We will wait for the further outcome of this dispute".

Eurlings, who became an IOC member in 2013, was appointed by Bach last year to head the new communications commission. He recently accompanied the IOC chief on his U.S. visit to meet tech giants in Silicon Valley.

Written in Lausanne by Mark Bisson

Forgeneral comments or questions, click here.

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about theOlympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribersonly.