(ATR) Rio 2016 IOC Coordination Commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel expressed excitement for the "beautiful stories" that will be written in the Main Press Center.
El Moutawakel was joined by a majority of the Rio 2016 CoComm on the eve of the body’s tenth and final official visit to the upcoming Olympic host city when presenting the venue. Along with Rio mayor Eduardo Paes and sports minister Ricardo Leyser, she inaugurated the MPC and the Live Site in the Olympic Park.
But press who had gathered for the opening of the MPC were not allowed inside to check out the media facilities.
"I am very happy to be here to celebrate with you the opening and inauguration of this piece of art, the Main Press Center," El Moutawakel said.
"I am expressing to you our happiness of all the IOC coordination commission. From here all the beautiful stories will go to the world; you will be able to tell stories about the city of Rio, stories about athletes who are going to break records, and stories of coaches and sports leaders."
Paes and Leyser took the time to congratulate the city for finalizing the construction of the venue using private money, giving the city another post-Olympics legacy. According to the Olympic Municipal Authority the MPC is set to become a retail center after the Games are complete.
After the inauguration multiple members of the Coordination Commission expressed confidence in the Olympic project to Around the Rings. Only 116 days remain until the 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and while municipal construction projects continue to wrap up, final provisions to make all venues Games ready and operational continue on a tight deadline.
Looming in the background of preparations is the ongoing political crisis that the Federal Government of Brazil faces. It is expected that the lower house could vote on the current impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff as soon as April 17. If enough votes are secured to bring the proceedings to the upper house of the Federal Government, Rousseff would have to temporarily step out of office during the upper house investigation.
"I think the Games are above anything that is going on politically because this is the image of the country," Sergey Bubka, IOC member from Ukraine, said to ATR. "This is something unique for the legacy and also when we discuss with the authorities this is some pride of the nation, it should be fine. I think everything is going very well; we will be ready in time."
Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro
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