IOC Wants More Details for 2016 Plans

(ATR) The IOC says it has little doubt guarantees for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics will be delivered, but it still wants to know who is responsible for delivery of a myriad of Games projects.

"On our side, as we are standing today, first of all, all the rules regulations and regulations that were committed to the IOC during the bid process, and all the guarantees we received, we don’t have any that we have any doubts today that they would be fulfilled," Gilbert Felli, IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games, tells Around the Rings.

He notes a reassessment of the works and guarantees related to the Game, was one of the most important aspects of a two-day IOC Project Review in Rio, which ended Wednesday. Felli was joined in Rio de Janeiro by IOC Coordination Commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel and IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi. The IOC holds two to three project reviews a year along with a visit by the larger coordination commission.

Felli says time was spent this week looking at the work of the APO, the authority coordinating all the government work related to the Games. Since the start of the year, the APO has assumed the governmental responsibility of organizing the Games, shifting away from the sports ministry. Felli said the APO’s duties and work "was not very clear before, but now it’s very clear for us."

While the APO, which is led by Marcio Fortes, is coordinating all government work, Felli says "all levels of government is very well-involved with the project.

"The city is doing a fantastic job and the mayor is himself going forward, the region is the same, and we have confirmation from the central government with the new structureofthe APO that it is going forward."

Some issues did surface. For example, organizational charts that would detail lines of responsibility for Olympic projects were not delivered as requested by the IOC. But Felli downplayed any significance.

"Yes it is something that is important but we are looking the sooner would be the best. So far thisdoesn'tstop the work because the work is going forward. It’s just a question in most of the cases, it’s a question of financing who is going to pay what," said Felli.

"As we have a full guarantee and we have the full package, now they just have to go into detail about who is going to pay what and this will come in the coming months," he said.

Felli said discussions took place about the placement of some venues within the Olympic Park and that negotiations are ongoing. But he says the talks are not stopping any work on the Park.

While some reports from Rio suggest that Olympic preparations were falling behind schedule, Felli says the IOC is not concerned.

"From the IOC we never mention that anything is falling behind schedule," he said.

Felli said the IOC has no concerns about construction in Rio as everything is on schedule.

Looking ahead, Felli said the IOC wants the responsibility matrix finalized, and organizers to maintain the level of work they are currently doing. If that happens, everything should be fine, Felli said.

Written by Ed Hula III.