Madrid 2016 CEO Mercedes Coghen told the media Tuesday “we have had an intense day, and we managed to transmit professionalism and emotion”.
During day one Madrid officially welcomed the IOC commission and gave presentations on the following themes – vision, legacy and communication, global concept, sport and venues, Olympic Village, accommodation, transportation, and environment and meteorology.
Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon, Mayor of Madrid, spoke on transport. He said, “the transport system of Madrid 2016 will integrate and manage in a centralized manner all the functions relating to traffic and public transport in conjunction with the Security and Emergency centres”.
Madrid 2016 offers the possibility of an Olympics without private cars, since it will be possible to access all venues “using only public transport, whether by arriving by road, train or plane”.
Pedro Calvo, Delegate for Security and Mobility, explained that Madrid 2016 has a network of public transport with sufficient capacity to respond to demands, and on an environmental note, represents the best alternative transport solution.
Ruiz-Gallardon invited the commission members to take a voyage to the future, to 2017, to understand the legacy the Games would leave the city. It was represented through Madrid 2016’s logo of a hand, with each finger signifying a different aspect – sport, economy, society, environment and culture.
As for the sporting aspect, the Mayor said that a Madrid 2016 Olympics would represent a great step forward in much the same way as Barcelona 1992 did, with all Olympic sports having left a permanent mark on the city through their remaining venues and increased participation.
Head of Arts Alicia Moreno outlined how all cultural venues and resources would be put at the disposal of the Olympics, many of which have been refurbished or extended by some of the leading names in international architecture. She also explained the municipal government’s intention of converting the city into “a great Olympic Village, where the streets, squares and parks would be zones just like the Games, with huge screens and heightened cultural activity”.
During the session the presenters distributed the Madrid 2016 Environment Guide, a vehicle to bring together the strategic principals on which the complete environmental integration policy of the of the project is founded.
Madrid’s City Council has also developed an Environmental Evaluation with the objective of analyzing the region’s environment progress as both a city and host venue for the Games.
The presenters concluded how the environmental evaluation placed the City and Community of Madrid in an “excellent” position to organize the 2016 Games, along with the assured sustainability of the project.
The presenters told the commission that the venues will be situated in two parts of the city – one in the east in the “Heart of the Games” and another in the west, in the “Lungs of the Games”. There would be seven competition venues and twelve training facilities.
All venues would undergo quality assurance testing ahead of time, with similar standard competitions being held in the preceding six to twenty-four months.
