Airports and large number of works concern IOC for Rio 2016

The large number of works Rio de Janeiro must go through to host the 2016 Olympic Games, along with the need for modernizing the airport infrastructure in Brazil, are the main concerns of the IOC less than six years before the event.

Swiss-born Gilbert Felli, executive director of the IOC for the Olympic Games, highlighted this Wednesday in Lausanne (Switzerland) that, in exchange of the effort Brazil needs to make, the social and urban legacy the Games will leave in Rio de Janeiro will be “of an extremely high level.”

Felli studied with the executive commission from the IOC the progress of the organization committees for the next Olympic Games and then highlighted, at a press conference, that, due to the amount of construction works necessary, the work became more intense in the city of Sochi, Russia, host of the 2014 Winter Games, and in Rio.

"Much has been said about the difficulties faced by Sochi, but Rio has an even more complicated job in terms of construction,” stated Felli, who returned to Switzerland last weekend after visiting the “Marvelous City”.

"We are happy, very excited. The transport plan, with new metro and train lines, is excellent and will leave a top-level legacy in the social sphere,” highlighted the executive from the IOC.

Felli commented that, for the entity members, headed by president Jacques Rogge, who visited Brazil, "it was good to hear the new country President ensure support from the Government to the Olympics."

Rogge, Felli and other members of the IOC visited Brazil to attend, among other events, the launch of the logo for Rio 2016 games and to watch the swearing-in of Dilma Roussef as Brazilian President.

Concerning the restructuring of airports, which the executive directors said were “not on the expected level,” the IOC maintains its concern thanks to the 2014 World Cup.

"They will have to make a huge effort for the World Cup. If the renovations are finished by 2014, this topic does not concern us for the Olympic Games,” he stated.

The executive commission approved this Wednesday the competition schedule for the 2012 London Olympic Games, which will be definitively closed in time for starting to sell tickets, this March.