Rio 2016 Olympic crisis

Rio 2016 Olympic crisis: 5 things to know - That might as well have been the official slogan of this week's Olympic gathering in southern Turkey.

This turned out to be the occasion when the long-simmering angst over Rio de Janeiro's troubled preparations for the 2016 Olympics blew up into full crisis mode.

On the sidelines of the Sport Accord convention in the Mediterranean resort of Belek, the International Olympic Committee executive board and summer sports federations raised the stakes over the critical delays threatening the first games in South America.

Here's five things we learned about the turmoil in Rio:

ALARM BELLS RINGING

Everyone has known for some time that Brazil was lagging behind schedule. Until now, however, the IOC had kept relatively restrained with its no-time-to-lose warnings. But Turkey marked a tipping point when the IOC and sports leaders made their complaints loud and clear and exposed just how deep the crisis is, even deeper than it was for the 2004 Athens Games, previously considered the benchmark for organizational disorder. Venue construction delays are not the only concern. Worries are also mounting over accommodations, transport and water pollution. Some officials openly wondered about ''Plan B'' contingencies. The IOC even refused to rule out moving the games - considered highly improbable at such a late stage. The message: With two years to go, the games need salvaging.

FELLI TO THE RESCUE

The man with the task of whipping Rio into shape is Gilbert Felli, the veteran IOC executive director of the Olympic Games. Already having been assigned to work on Rio once he steps down from his IOC role in August, the Swiss administrator is being dispatched to Rio next week to kick-start the process. No one knows the ins and outs of the management operations and deadlines for an Olympics better than Felli. But he'll have his hands full. Three task forces are also being created and a local construction manager hired. Another key figure working behind the scenes with Felli will be American Olympic operations expert Doug Arnot.

PLEASE MR. MAYOR

The IOC went out of its way to single out Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes as a crucial player in the efforts to get the games on track. There has been deep frustration over the lack of cooperation on the Olympic project among the three level of government in Brazil. Local Olympic organizing chief Carlos Nuzman, the man credited with winning the games for Brazil, lacks the skills and political leverage that Sebastian Coe had in London. IOC President Thomas Bach and Felli both talked about the importance of Paes in facilitating funding for some of the construction, particularly for Deodoro, a complex for eight sports venues where work has yet to begin. ''The mayor is the one really acting to solve the problem,'' Felli said. ''Be careful not to shoot at him.''

NO GRASS FOR GOLF

Perhaps the single sport most at risk is golf, due to return to the Olympic program for the first time in more than a century. Trouble is, the course at Venue Reserva de Marapendi, designed by American architect Gil Hanse, doesn't even have any grass yet. Organizers say the grass installation will begin later this month, but can a world-class golf course be fully tested and ready within two years? Golf needs conditions that will attract the game's top players. Officials may begin looking for an existing course - inside or outside Brazil - if progress isn't made in a hurry.

BLAME GAME

Bach and Felli said they wouldn't point fingers or blame anyone for the mess in Brazil. Critics could also take aim at the IOC for two things - giving the games to Rio in the first place, and waiting until now to raise the emergency alarm. (Juan Antonio Samaranch issued his famous ''yellow light'' warning to Athens organizers four years before the games). Was it prudent to give Brazil the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics back-to-back? It's hard enough for rich, developed nations to host both mega events. Five years ago, the IOC embraced the emotional and sentimental factors of taking the Olympics to a new continent. Today, the prevailing feelings are ones of dismay and anxiety. ( The Associated Press )

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Rio's Olympic preparations blasted as worst ever

Rio's Olympic preparations blasted as worst ever - International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates on Tuesday piled pressure on 2016 host Rio de Janeiro, blasting its preparations as the worst he has ever seen.

The Australian, who has made six visits to Rio as a member of the IOC Coordination Commission overseeing the Games, painted a dire picture of the progress being made, which he said was of "critical concern".

He told an Olympic Forum in Sydney that the IOC had been forced to take "unprecedented" action, embedding experts in Rio’s Organising Committee to ensure the sporting spectacle proceeds.

"The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations but the situation is critical on the ground," he said, adding it was "the worst I have experienced".

"The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role, it is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no Plan B. We are going to Rio."

With the clock rapidly ticking before the first Olympics in South America, many facilities in Rio have yet to be completed because of construction delays and soaring costs.

Aerial view of the construction site of the Olympic and Paralympic Village at Barra da Tijuca, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 3, 2013 (AFP Photo/Yasuyoshi Chiba)

Earlier this month the IOC drew up a list of urgent recommendations aimed at breathing life into the flagging preparations.

These include the creation of three task forces with a number of aims including easing the fears of an increasingly angry population who have protested at the costs of both the Olympics and the 2014 World Cup, which is also in Brazil.

Furthermore, international sports federations will send teams of experts to work alongside local organisers in a model of co-operation which was used in the build-up to the Sochi Winter Olympics.

"I think this is a worse situation than Athens (in 2004)," said Coates, who has been involved in the Olympics for nearly 40 years.

"In Athens, we were dealing with one government and some city responsibilities. Here, there's three. 

"There is little co-ordination between the federal, the state government and the city -- which is responsible for a lot of the construction," he added.

"And this is against a city that's got social issues that also have to be addressed; a country that's also trying to deal with the FIFA World Cup coming up in a few months. 

"It's the worst that I've experienced." ( AFP )

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Olympics-Rio stadium roof problems serious, say engineers

Olympics-Rio stadium roof problems serious, say engineers - The damage which has forced the abrupt closure of Rio de Janeiro's Joao Havelange stadium is serious and it will take up to two months just to find a solution, engineers said on Wednesday.

The six-year-old arena, scheduled to host the athletics events at the 2016 Olympic games, was shut on Tuesday because of structural damage to the roof in a major embarrassment for Brazilian sporting authorities.

"We've received a report about the stadium and it did not come with any solutions attached," said Armando Queiroga, president of the city government's public works department RioUrbe.

"It's a serious problem and we can't forecast when it will open again. We need from 30 to 60 days to find the solution and after that we will have some perspective."

Authorities said the roof could present a risk for spectators if the wind reached over 63 kilometres per hour.

The stadium is currently the city's main soccer venue as the Maracana is rebuilt for the Confederations Cup this year and the 2014 World Cup.

Although the stadium will host the athletics events in 2016, the opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the Maracana in a break with Olympic tradition.

The Joao Havelange stadium was built for the 2007 Panamerican Games and opened just one month before the event after being plagued by delays.

Afterwards, it was leased to local soccer club Botafogo although it is frequently used by other teams.

The Maracana is due to re-open at the end of April, four months behind the original schedule. Brazil's preparations for the 2014 World Cup have been plagued by delays.

The closure of the Joao Havelange stadium, alternatively known as the Engenhao, forced the Carioca championship match between Fluminense and Macae on Wednesday to be switched to Sao Januario at one day's notice. (Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Alison Wildey)

Reuters – Wed, Mar 27, 2013 5:34 PM EDT

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