Gilbert Felli, International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) executive director of the Olympics, called it “good news” that the budget for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games would stay in place despite sweeping government cuts aimed at reducing Britain’s deficit.
London organizers told the IOC’s executive board Sunday about plans to save $11 million by eliminating a proposal to wrap the 80,000-seat main stadium in fabric.
Reuters reports Felli said the stadium will still “look great” despite the modification, and added that London’s ticket pricing plans had also satisfied the IOC. He said, “I don’t think that will affect anything of the Games preparation or the Games atmosphere. The stadium will look great”.
He said the funding commitment proved that the Games “remain a prime priority of the community in Britain and it was good news for us”.
Felli called a presentation from the Rio 2016 organizing team “positive”. He said the IOC would “push a bit” for the set up of Rio’s development authority and said a marketing program outlining the Games first commercial partners would be presented at the end of the year, reports Reuters.
The IOC was also assured that government support for the Rio 2016 Games would continue regardless of which candidate won the Brazilian presidential elections in late October.
