Now that Rio has been elected the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is sending an expert team to Brazil Wednesday to get the city in shape for the $14.4 billion Games, reports the Associated Press.
IOC President Jacques Rogge told the Associated Press Monday, “we start immediately with working with the Brazilians”.
IOC team leader Gilbert Felli, executive director of the Olympic Games, said planning would begin during a two-day seminar for 300 Rio officials.
He said, “just to make sure that there is a good understanding of the Games preparation, and reassess maybe the weak points that they had during the bid…..”. He added, “We have raised different issues that we believe needed careful follow-up”.
Security and public safety were highlighted during the bid campaign and Felli said, “that was one of those issues we raised during the evaluation. It is important and we will have to see how to handle that”.
Felli reportedly said the IOC would bring Rio a message of support from Switzerland. He said, “we are confident that (Rio) will deal with this subject”.
Felli added that the IOC experts wanted to know how Rio would create a legal and management framework for the operation. He said, “we need to understand how the structure that’s proposed to us will go forward. Legislation was proposed but has to be finalized”.
The Rio 2016 organizing committee, chaired by bid leader and IOC member Carlos Nuzman, will also be advised on how to work with agencies responsible for construction.
While not scheduled to visit Brazil, Rogge said, “I will wait for the organizing committee to be in cruising speed and then I will come to Rio”.
