The insidethegames.biz Magazine - Summer Edition

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Summer Edition 2016

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Contents

Published: July 2016 by Dunsar Media Company Limited Editor: Duncan Mackay Managing Director: Sarah Bowron Business Development: Natalie Wallace Design: Elliot Willis Willis Design Associates Pictures: Getty Images Staff headshots: Karen Kodish Print: www.csfprint.com Dunsar Media Company Limited C222 MK:TWO Business Centres 1-9 Barton Road Bletchley Milton Keynes MK2 3HU Great Britain +44 1908 263387 contact@insidethegames.biz www.insidethegames.biz No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without prior written permission of the publisher.

Introduction

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Rio 2016 still confident it can live up to samba image

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A guide to the Rio 2016 venues

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Duncan Mackay Nick Butler Nick Butler

How good could Rio 2016 have been? 14 David Owen

Rio Bravo! 19 Duncan Mackay, Nick Butler, Daniel Etchells, Liam Morgan, Michael Pavitt

The Transformational Games 34 Michael Pavitt

2016 will truly mark Kosovo’s arrival on the world stage Nick Butler

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Montreal 1976: The Olympics that gave us Thomas Bach 42 Alan Hubbard

Don’t worry, be ready! 46 Mike Rowbottom

Data is published in good faith and is the best information possessed by Dunsar Media Company Limited at the stated date of publication. The publisher cannot accept any liability for errors or omissions, however caused. Errors brought to the attention of the publisher and verified to the satisfaction of the publisher will be corrected in future editions, if any. © and Database Right 2016 Dunsar Media Company Limited All rights reserved.

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DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES

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t’ll be alright on the night” is a classic show business comment where dressrehearsal disasters are common and a show’s readiness for opening night may be questioned.

It effectively dismisses challenges as unnecessarily negative, sweeping problems under the carpet, assuming they can be dealt with at a later date.

It would be fair that every Olympic and Paralympic Games in history - possibly with the exception of Beijing in 2008 - has, to an extent, adopted this philosophy.

Even London four years ago, widely considered one of the best-organised and most successful Games of recent times, was still scrambling around to find security guards just a few weeks before the start of the event. They needed to call in the military to help them out after they were let down by a private security firm.

Rio 2016, though, seem certain to win the gold medal for the lateness of their preparations, leaving even Athens in 2004 behind. Vital transport links are not due to be completed until four days before the Opening Ceremony on August 5, the test event at the Velodrome has had to be cancelled due to the venue not being finished on time and many people remain fearful about the threat of the

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Zika virus.

The situation reminds me of an exchange that reportedly took place between Sir Winston Churchill and the Irish President during the depths of the Second World War. The Irishman asked Churchill how the British war effort was faring and the great man replied: “Serious but not hopeless.” Churchill reciprocated the interest and the President in turn answered: “Hopeless but not serious.”

The problem for Brazilian and International Olympic Committee officials is the worldwide perception that the situation is both hopeless and serious.

In this Summer issue of The insidethegames.biz Magazine, senior reporter Nick Butler investigates whether Rio can surprise the world and still put on a great Games. insidethegames’ chief columnist David Owen, meanwhile, wonders how good Rio 2016 could have been if they had kept the promises they made during their successful bid seven years ago and Brazil’s economy had not crashed.

We have also spoken to the heads of all 28 International Federations whose sports will make up the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 to find out what they are expecting from the Games.

There is also an interview with Andrew Parsons, President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, about the ambition of Rio 2016 to surpass the outstanding success of London 2012. That will be tough, I think, because the British public embraced the Paralympics more closely than any other country before. But the long-term benefits for those with impairments in Brazil could

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still be far-reaching.

This will be the 17th Olympics I have covered, including the Winter and Youth Games. My view is that once the Olympics gets underway most people watching them on television will wonder why there has been so many concerns.

If there is a more picturesque city than Rio de Janeiro, then I have never visited it. With a backdrop of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana Beach, how can it look anything but spectacular on TV? I think things are going to be challenging if you are on the ground, particularly transport.

But I think sympathy will be in short supply for journalists in Rio de Janeiro covering the Olympic Games complaining about how long it takes them to get somewhere on a bus! As Nick Butler points out, though, let us hope it does affect not the preparations of an athlete who will have been preparing for these Games for many years.

Whatever happens at Rio 2016, you can be guaranteed the best coverage will be on insidethegames.biz. Starting on August 2, we will once again be running our popular live blog each day from 8am UK time until all the action in Brazil is wrapped up for the day.

Make sure you take a look. There may be some uncertainty about whether Rio 2016 can deliver a successful Games. But there are no doubts that insidethegames’ coverage will be of a gold medal standard.

Duncan Mackay Editor

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Brazilian authorities have launched a major campaign to try to eradicate Rio de Janeiro of the threat of the Zika virus before the Olympics and Paralympics. Photo: Getty Images

Rio 2016 still confident it can live up to samba image International attention has focused on the Zika virus in the run-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games but the dangers of security, a poor transport system and political instability are emerging as bigger challenges.

Nick Butler reports

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he Brazil of colour, samba-dancing, carnivals and beachside parties; of Copacabana and Ipanema, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer; and of football, beach volleyball and an all-round love of sport. That is what Brazilian organisers hope we will remember about Rio 2016.

Preparations, however, have increasingly become side-tracked by other, less positive, things. Slow progress at venues, pollution, poor transport and security, and - just when

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stability seemed to be slowly returning - a three-pronged assault of fresh challenges in Zika virus, the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and a doping scandal threatening to exclude Russia’s athletics team from the Games.

“We had three main issues to discuss at this Executive Board meeting,” quipped International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in early June. “Preparations for Rio, preparations for Rio and preparations for Rio.” The IOC admit there are concerns, but insist we will still have a “great Games”. Organising Committee President Carlos Nuzman, nicknamed “No-News man” by journalists, has been similarly upbeat, dismissing problems with the zeal of a fanatic.

This can be convincing at first, but becomes less so after he downplays a perceived challenge only for the situation to deteriorate further the next day. “Oh, that is nothing to do with us, that is the Municipal Government’s responsibility,” is another familiarly infuriating retort.

In order to plug the gap between baying

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international observers and this “move along, nothing to see here” attitude of both Rio 2016 and IOC officials, we asked some local journalists for their thoughts.

Globo, the dominant media conglomerate, said it was inappropriate for them to respond due to being host broadcaster. Others were keen and it was fascinating how all gave the same reply to the question: “What is the biggest challenge surrounding the Games?”

“From my point of view, the biggest challenge will be transportation,” said one, who writes for another of Brazil’s best known publications, Folha de S.Paulo.

“The subway they will open in August, but I’m not confident about the quality of construction,” added a second, a Brazilian based in Rio de Janeiro, who works for Japanese broadcaster NHK. “I mean doing it in a rush without time to test. I do not intend to use the subway during the Games.”

A third, who works for sports site Lance.net, concurred. “The number one challenge during the Games is the transportation system. I covered London 2012, and I remember that I took the subway there almost every day to

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NICK BUTLER SENIOR REPORTER, INSIDETHEGAMES reach the venues - it helped me a lot!

“In Rio, it won’t be possible, because the subway lines in the city are very small. I suppose that fans, media and people involved with the Games could face problems travelling from Copacabana to Barra, for example…”

Transport, clearly, is a huge concern. This may be less apparent for those watching on television, but it only needs a high-profile athlete to miss an event due to being stuck in traffic for it to become a crisis.

Officials hope that the school holidays will reduce traffic and point out that Games-lanes exist for all accredited personnel. But it is possible drivers, desperate to evade the traffic, may simply ignore these restrictions.

Consensus among journalists is that venues will be okay - just about, especially when you have to remember the Brazilian culture of doing everything at the last minute. Final overlay preparations remain a challenge.

Opinions are more divided about the impact of the ongoing political crisis.

“I agree that it will somehow put the Games to one side, at least until it begins,” said one.

“But this is pretty logical. We are talking about the future of a country, and Brazilians are apprehensive about the developments.”

Another said: “I think that the Brazilian Government does not

Rio 2016 will be a party to rival the city’s famous Carnival, officials hope. Photo: Getty Images

want to damage their image to the world, so they will try their best to deliver everything until the Games. As a Brazilian I really would like to see that, but I still have some doubt.”

At the time of writing, impeachment proceedings against suspended Rousseff are due to conclude on August 1, just four days before the Opening Ceremony, although it is possible a verdict could be delayed until midway through the Olympics.

Rio 2016 claim politics is unconnected to the Games but the danger of protests and wider unrest remains a real one.

Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman has consistently played down concerns about problems with the city’s preparations. Photo: Getty Images

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A third major issue is security.

Rio is one of Brazil’s safer cities but still remains a dangerous place.

Athletes visiting there to train have been among those mugged, while a Brazilian shooting team member was shot in the head at a fake roadblock in June. Terrorism, while less of a concern in Brazil, cannot be dismissed either.

The issue causing the most fear internationally, however, is the Zika virus. More than 150 university professors called for the Games to be moved elsewhere due to fears of it exacerbating the spread of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked with microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with small heads and under-developed brains.

A small number of athletes mostly golfers, who, a cynic might say, were looking for an excuse not to have to make the trip to Brazil when they could be earning more money on the international circuit - have cited concerns when pulling out.

For once, I am inclined to agree with organisers. For the risk in Rio de Janeiro, in August and September, is limited, and even

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when I last visited in March I saw no mosquitos. This is not to downplay the dangers of Zika, but, providing those attending the Games are sensible, there should not be any problems.

“To be honest with you I’m not concerned about Zika during the Games,” said one female journalist in her late 20s. “I had some people in my family that had Zika, but Dengue [fever] is worse than Zika.

“I know that there is a big concern because [of] microcephaly but even so I think that it is not a big issue for men and women that are not pregnant. My concern is more about security, I’m afraid of terrorism.”

We have always maintained that when sport comes to the fore the Games will be a success.

Hopefully, when the likes of Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and the local Brazilian favourites do their stuff, we will forget about these challenges and remember a Games of beauty and colour, records and gold medals.

But, as the starting-line draws nearer, there must be plenty of crossed fingers and moments of nervous anticipation in IOC circles.

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A guide to the Rio 2016 venues Some of the venues built for the Olympics and Paralympics, particularly those for the outdoor sports, appear stunning and fully deserving of the Olympic stage. Others should plug a gap within local communities and provide a clear legacy afterwards.

Challenges also remain. Water pollution fears and the completion of final overlay work are the most frequentlycited issues, as well as transportation between venues, the Athletes’ Village and other sites.

A total of 18 existing, nine new and seven temporary venues will be split across four clusters: Barra da Tijuca, the main coastal hub where the Olympic Park will be located, Deodoro in the more impoverished West Zone and Copacabana and Maracanã in the south-east, the area most frequented by tourists. Nick Butler reviews them BARRA DA TIJUCA CLUSTER Rio Olympic Velodrome

The venue which presented the biggest challenge. Action was originally due to take place in the Barra Velodrome built for the 2007 Pan American Games, only for it to be decided it was easier to construct a new venue on the same site than to renovate it.

The International Cycling Union must be regretting that decision now. A test event was postponed and then cancelled after repeated delays installing the track, with a non-competitive “sport test” in June now the only opportunity for riders to practice before the official opening on July 25.

As well as issues with installing lighting and heating and cooling systems, seating was still being installed in early June and other elements, like media tribunes and elevators between different levels, were yet to appear. The 5,000 capacity facility is due to become a training centre after the Games.

Olympic Tennis Center

Another venue to have caused problems. A 10,000-seater centre court should be accompanied by two other show courts and seven others used for competition, with a combined capacity of 18,250.

But the construction company responsible changed again this year amid more delays, and court-surfacing and the installation of stands and lighting was all still to be completed in June.

A hard surface rather than the more Brazil-friendly clay will be used in order to fit into the hard-court season building up to the US Open later in the month. Centre court will be named after Brazil’s 19-times Grand Slam winner Maria Esther Bueno.

Aquatics venues

The temporary 15,000-capacity Olympic Aquatics Stadium for swimming and water polo finals is one of the more striking venues, primarily because its outside is covered with distinctive artwork by Brazilian contemporay artist Adriana Varejão.

This consists of 67 panels, each 27 metres high, using Portuguese tiling and a baroque style to mix imagery of the sea and angels. The panels are anti-UV treated to help regulate the building’s temperature. Unfortunately, this was ineffective in the test event, where it was “like a sauna” on the lower levels as an overheated generator triggered power outages and an hour-long delay.

A new grid-system installed for the Games should alleviate this risk in a venue due to be torn down and replaced by two smaller pools after the Games. Diving, synchronised swimming and water polo preliminaries will take place at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park, a venue built for the 2007 Pan American Games.

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Rio Olympic Arena

After hosting basketball and gymnastics during the 2007 Pan American Games, the venue was renamed the HSBC Arena and has held events ranging from Queen and Miley Cyrus concerts to NBA and UFC action.

It will revert back to its original name for the Games to host gymnastics and wheelchair basketball. A test event in April was overshadowed by delays due to five different power failures - including one immediately before a final. Lighting in the hall also fell short of the mandatory 1’500 lux in the competition hall and 800 lux in the training halls.

Concerns were voiced by the International Gymnastics Federation during the SportAccord Convention. “Rio 2016 is aware of these problems,” FIG have since told insidethegames. “They did their best during the test event to resolve the problems and we are sure they will take the necessary steps to avoid these kind of situations during the Games.”

Rio Centro

Boxing, table tennis and badminton are all due to be held in different pavilions in the existing Riocentro venue, while an adjacent temporary pavilion will house weightlifting. Built in 1977 as the largest Convention Centre in Latin America, the arena is best known for what happened there in 1981 when two bombs were detonated during a May-Day music concert. Left-wing guerrillas were blamed but many accused the military-led Government of staging the attack.

Other Olympic Park venues

There are three new “Carioca” venues all lying within the Olympic Park. Arena-1 will host Olympic basketball and Paralympic wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby; Arena-2 Olympic judo and wrestling and boccia during the Paralympics; and Arena-3 Olympic fencing and taekwondo and Paralympic judo.

The 16,000 capacity basketball arena appears unremarkable from the outside but is considered spacious, high-tech and, according to an IOC official at least, the “best in living memory”. It will become part of the training centre afterwards.

Arena-3 is due to be converted into an Olympic Experimental School for 850 full-time students.

It will include 24 classrooms, plus science and media labs, and should also provide sporting opportunities for local youngsters. Handball and goalball will take place at the Future Arena, a temporary venue due to be dismantled as part of a “nomadic architecture” concept to be reassembled as four public schools.

A picturesque live site and both the Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre are also situated within the Park, with the Athletes’ Village around 10 to 15 minutes away.

Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course

The new venue which has caused, arguably, the most controversy, the Reserva de Marapendi course close to the Olympic Park has angered environmentalists, who have complained about damage to wildlife.

Protestors even branded IOC President Thomas Bach a “nature killer” as he tried to leave the Windsor Copacabana Hotel during a visit to Rio de Janeiro. Organisers, however, claim to have reclaimed some of the ground and restored vegetation. Animal handlers have even been deployed to carry alligators and other wildlife off the course.

Designed by American Gil Hanse, the first course to stage an Olympic golf tournament since St. Louis in 1904 spans 970,000 metres squared and should have a seating capacity for 15,000 spectators.

An initial event in March featuring local golfers was hailed as a success but it remains to be tested by the world’s top players. The course should eventually become a public facility run by the Brazilian Golf Confederation and the City Government under a 20-year lease. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

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DEODORO CLUSTER

X-Park

One of the most ambitious legacy projects of the Games, the X-Park has already opened to the public, attracting hundreds of locals bathing in the open-air swimming pool beside the canoe slalom course.

There was a proposal at one stage to use existing rapids 700 miles away at Iguazu Falls, but the new course was eventually built as planned and a test event following completion last year proved successful.

Testing at the Olympic BMX Centre proved less of a success, however, with riders refusing to compete due to safety concerns after heavy rain. Much has been done since then, however, and the UCI now claim to be more confident.

There has also been praise for the adjacent mountain bike venue, which includes a one kilometre climb up mountain billed as one of the toughest ascents on any cross-country course. “Flipflops”, “Rio rocks” and “Coconut Beach” are other named obstacles to negate.

The canoe slalom venue will become a large recreational lake after the Games and it is planned the BMX track will be maintained. Multi-sports courts, a mini mountain bike track, nature trails, bike paths, a skating rink, outdoor fitness equipment, gardens and barbecue areas are also due to be installed.

Deodoro Stadium

Rugby sevens will make its Olympic bow in the 15,000 capacity temporary venue, while the riding and run-shoot finale of the modern pentathlon and Paralympic seven-a-side football will also take place at the Deodoro Arena.

World Rugby have repeatedly expressed concerns about the speed of construction, admitting in April that preparations are “not exactly where we want to be”. It followed earlier plans to hold rugby at the Estádio São Januário and João Havelange Olympic Stadium being dropped.

Other Deodoro venues

There are five other venues within the Deodoro Cluster, the second major Games hub which is a 25km journey north of Barra de Tijuca. Two others are new: the Olympic Hockey Centre and the Youth Arena in which basketball, modern pentathlon fencing and wheelchair fencing are due to be held.

They, along with the X-Park and Deodoro Arena, have experienced problems due to construction delays and changing contracts, with an investigation into possible corruption still ongoing.

They sit alongside three existing venues, the Olympic Shooting Centre, the Olympic Equestrian Centre and the Deodoro Aquatics Centre in which modern pentathlon swimming will take place - meaning all the venues for the sport are close together.

Shooters complained of “incomplete constructions, no air conditioning and lighting problems”, during the test event in April. The equestrian test event last August had no international competitors due to delays in finalising quarantine laws. There were also concerns over the possible spread of glanders horse-disease.

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MARACANA CLUSTER João Havelange Olympic Stadium

One of the host city’s best known venues, named after disgraced former FIFA President João Havelange and originally built in time for the 2007 Pan American Games, it usually houses local football club Botafogo.

The venue will play host to eight football group matches in the first week of the Games, including two involving the Brazilian women’s team.

It is also due to host Olympic and Paralympic athletics following renovation work to upgrade capacity to 60,000. There were problems and delays installing the track - mainly due to the weather - but the distinctive blue surface installed by Italian company Mondo is fast, we are told, and its colour brings back memories of the 2009 World Championships in Berlin where Usain Bolt set three world records.

Its location is a long way from the Athletes’ Village, so transportation will be a challenge.

Maracanã Stadium

Opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, the Maracanã now has a capacity of 78,000 following renovation ahead of the 2014 edition. It will host all four Ceremonies during the Olympics and Paralympics.

Volleyball will take place in the adjacent Maracanãzinho - “little Maracanã” - built to host the Men’s Basketball World Championship in 1954 and which was home of the annual Miss Brazil pageants for two decades.

Five other cities will also host group matches during the football tournament. They are Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Salvador, São Paulo, and Manaus, all in the same stadiums used for 2014 World Cup matches. This should provide an opportunity for other parts of the country to embrace the Games, but also brings added security risks. Tropical conditions in Manaus may also add to Zika virus fears.

Sambódromo

Another iconic Rio de Janeiro venue, the Sambódromo is best known as home of the annual carnival, where 90,000 people can pack the 700 metres converted stretch of the Marquês de Sapucaí street. Acts ranging from Britney Spears to the Rolling Stones have also performed there.

Olympic and Paralympic archery will take place here during the Games, plus the finale of the marathon races. A nearby Brahma factory was demolished and extra stands built in order to increase capacity.

The venue appears a great opportunity for archery and could not be more different from the London 2012 setting of Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Marina da Glória

Perhaps the most talked about venue of all, the Marina on Guanabara Bay next to Sugar Loaf Mountain will provide some of the most spectacular television images ever seen at an Olympics and Paralympics and should put sailing at the forefront like never before.

The build-up, though, has been dominated by concerns over water pollution, with dead dogs, a human arm and most of the city’s sewage among flotsam found in the Bay. Organisers have quoted all sorts of statistics about how much improvement has been made, but they have fallen short of the initial aim of 80 per cent and - in the eyes of most neutral observers - have missed the legacy opportunity to pull off a wholesale clean-up.

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COPACABANA CLUSTER Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

The rowing and canoe sprint course is another visually magnificent venue where there are doubts over the quality of the water.

Fifteen members of the US team fell ill during the World Junior Championships there last year and organisers’ claim that it was nothing to do with pollution was not altogether convincing.

A “floating grandstand” on the non-coastal side was scrapped due to budget cuts, despite repeated promises that it would not be. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes then urged spectators to “pull up a beach chair” rather than buy tickets.

Oh, and the rowing course is short, meaning there is very little room to brake between the finish line and the shore. Apart from that, everything is fine.

Copacabana Beach

It is fitting that beach volleyball will take place at its spiritual home on one of the world’s most famous stretches of sand. The temporary stadium is only currently being constructed and has lost space for some “infrastructural” elements, but will still have 12,000 seats.

Rio 2016 believe the sport will provide one of the highlights of the Olympics.

Open water swimming and triathlon will also take place nearby at Fort Copacabana, with another water venue suffering from pollution concerns.

The road cycling races will also begin here before following a gruelling course including circuits of Grumari and Grota Funda climbs. With the final section short and downhill, the course is expected to favour the climbers and should provide a true Olympian test.

To the north of Copacabana is Botafogo and Flamengo Park, where the marathon course will wind around southwards before returning to the Sambódromo. Race walking and the cycling time trials will be held on an equally hilly course way out to the west of Barra in Pontal.

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? n e e b e v a h 6 1 0 2 io R ld How good cou Brazil was a country on the rise seven years ago when Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games. As the country stumbles over the finishing line that seems a long time ago. David Owen reports

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he image - of a political leader, a top administrator and a national sporting hero - was taken less than seven years ago. It is duplicated, with variations, at the climax of every Olympic bidding process. Yet it seems to belong to a different era altogether.

Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva, the political leader, Carlos Nuzman, the administrator, and Pelé, the sportsman, are captured in the euphoria of victory, clutching the green, yellow, blue and white Brazilian national flag, surrounded by a joyful posse of officials and supporters.

It is October 2, 2009, in the Danish capital Copenhagen and the trio have been key figures in a triumph whose vanquished adversaries included a United States rival, Chicago, championed by Barack and Michelle Obama.

Given that Brazil was being touted at the time, along with Russia, India and China, as one of the four so-called BRIC economies on which the world’s future economic growth prospects might depend, you could not have scripted a scenario that better proclaimed the long-awaited arrival of South America’s biggest country as a serious global player.

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But that moment was as sweet as it got for this exhilaratingly diverse nation of 200 million people. After an initial sponsorship bonanza taking us up to around 2011, it has been downhill all the way. Far from “Ordem e Progresso”, the motto inscribed on that colourful national flag, the international media narrative has tended to focus on street protests and a miasma of deepening economic problems, political crisis, missed deadlines and corruption allegations.

In the circumstances, the horror-show of the canary-shirted national football team’s 7-1 humiliation by Germany on home soil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup could hardly have been more symbolic.

So can Brazil’s apparent policy of attempting to secure domestic advancement and international recognition through sporting megaevents be written off as a complete and utter failure?

Well, no. The World Cup, in spite of a similarly problem-strewn build-up, had positive spin-offs in terms of sporting and transport infrastructure. And for every person who has absorbed the negative coverage of recent times, there will be scores of sports fans who do not really tune in until the Olympic Opening Ceremony gets under way on

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DAVID OWEN CHIEF COLUMNIST, INSIDETHEGAMES

August 5. Experts concur that for all the multifarious issues with water quality and the velodrome, a vital subway extension and an elevated cycle-path, insofar as the Games themselves are concerned, Rio 2016 will be alright on the night.

“I am still an optimist that the Games will, to the outside world, be a great success,” says Michael Payne, former International Olympic Committee marketing director.

“The fundamental DNA/brand of Rio and Brazil: this incredible stage and backdrop; this welcoming, open people; those elements that

were always going to be at the heart of the Games in Rio have not been impacted in any way by the economic and political meltdown of the country.

“This is validated by recent discussions with leading broadcasters who are all very optimistic that front-of-house will look stunning. At the end of the day, that is what 99 per cent of people around the world will experience.

“Back-of-house, for everyone having to work, it will be a challenge”, although even here Payne concedes that there is “probably a little element of expectation management in that everyone is going there with very low expectations and will probably be pleasantly surprised”.

Regional specialist Richard Lapper has reached a similar conclusion for slightly different reasons. “Brazil is very good at short-term mobilisations such as the carnivals that take place in a number of cities,” he says.

“I think it will go quite smoothly.”

Where the country is weak, Lapper feels, is in the pursuit of long-term development goals such as infrastructure projects. “A whole series of auditing bodies slows projects down,” he says, arguing that while tenders are “quite clean” compared to some other Latin American countries, they are “very slow”. Prosecutors can get involved, moreover, “at the drop of a hat”.

We are speaking on the day it emerged that www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Federal investigators had expanded their probe into whether construction projects associated with Rio 2016 were tarnished by corruption by including all the Games venues in their inquiries. The investigation initially focused on transport and infrastructural projects associated with the Games.

Lapper goes on: “You have Federal, State and Municipal Government. All have their separate controls. This creates a nest of bureaucratic red tape. Transparency and efficiency in Brazil sometimes go against each other. The external pressure from the IOC has actually helped central Government to get some things done.”

This chimes well with Payne’s assessment that “the infrastructural changes in the city could never have happened without the Olympics”.

There seems every chance then that the world’s couch potatoes will settle down in August and September to an enthralling Olympic and Paralympic Games played out against the matchless splendour of Copacabana, Corcovado and the Pão de Açúcar, a backdrop out of central casting for TV producers.

This is all fine and dandy, but from an image-making perspective, it means Rio will probably, in effect, be using the Olympics merely to reinforce its existing stereotype as lush, lovely and a heck of a party-town. The question arises - was this why then Brazilian Central Bank Governor (and current Finance Minister) Henrique Meirelles was flown to Denmark in 2009 to convince IOC members that Brazil would be a reliable and sober partner.

Says Payne: “Brazil had the perfect

opportunity, with the World Cup and the Olympics, to completely rebrand the nation…

“It is a lost opportunity; lost in the sense of not fulfilling its true potential…

“The world is still going to see a great Games and a great celebration of Brazil, but they could have achieved so much more.”

Nor does Payne regard the vicissitudes of the economic cycle as an adequate excuse for these shortcomings. “Yes, you are hostage to it”, but “all Organising Committees have gone through the economic cycle and challenges,” he says, adding: “London went through a difficult period.” And indeed London 2012 had to work its way through a severe and protracted downturn in the British economy, although it could be argued that the lack of competition for labour and other resources benefited the massive project by, for example, keeping construction costs down. “Frankly, it is a very convenient excuse,” Payne concludes.

Lapper comments on how the Brazilian Government’s reaction to lower commodity prices from 2011 served to shatter private confidence and help tip the country into recession. In the face of this broader crisis, with large numbers of people worried about losing their jobs, the approaching Olympic Games have been relegated to the status of a sideshow in much of this vast country, he feels.

“We are now in the middle of the second or third year of recession,” he says. “Confidence is very, very low. We are in a very difficult-toevaluate political crisis with a new administration that is much more private-sector oriented than Governments that have run Brazil since 2003. President Dilma Rousseff is facing an impeachment trial. The country has

Rio de Janeiro’s backdrop will provide spectacular TV pictures. Photo: Getty Images

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Construction delays have overshadowed preparations for Rio 2016. Photo: Getty Images

become much more polarised. There are so many question-marks about the future that I think the Olympics is pretty much in the background.”

He goes on: “Other Latin American countries have been much smarter about how they have handled the slowdown in China…Rio 2016 will not be a disaster, but it has failed in terms of the more ambitious target of making Brazil a leading player on the world stage.” He lets it be understood, however, that in his view this goal was always likely to prove a tall order.

Given that a large part of the value of the Olympics for Brazil now looks to reside in how glorious Rio will look for a global television audience numbered in the hundreds of millions, is there not a risk that even the prospective tourism dividend will be significantly reduced as a consequence of the emergence of the Zika virus?

Payne thinks not, simply because of the timescale over which the potential benefit from increased numbers of foreign visitors should be measured. “The tourist boom should be counted in the way of a decade or two decades,” he says.

The former IOC man refers to the example of the Barcelona Games of 1992, still widely seen as a model of how the Olympics can be harnessed as a catalyst for a host-city’s wider development objectives.

“Barcelona is still riding high on the success of Barcelona 1992, 24 years ago,” he says. “It wasn’t the 12 months after the event…it was only after the 1992 Games that politicians started saying, ‘That was quite successful, we could do something with that.’”

For many Brazilians, one suspects, the entire 13-year Olympic saga, since Rio de Janeiro applied unsuccessfully against white-hot competition to host the 2012 Games, would be something like worth the candle if the talismanic striker Neymar were to lead the men’s www.facebook.com/insidethegames

football team to the gold medal at the Maracanã on August 20.

That would be a noteworthy first: the country has not once won either the men’s or women’s tournament in the 116 years since the sport made its Olympic bow at the Paris Games of 1900. More particularly, it would offer redemption of sorts for that nightmarish July evening two years ago in Belo Horizonte, when Joachim Lőw’s Germany, playing in the red and black hoops Cariocas associate with the Flamengo club, put the hosts, minus the injured Neymar, embarrassingly to the sword.

For others contemplating Rio’s white-knuckle Olympic adventure, it is hard to ward off a sense of what might have been.

Barcelona is still reaping the dividend of hosting the 1992 Olympics. Photo: Getty Images

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RIO BRAVO! The IF Presidents look forward to Rio 2016

Aquatics

Dr Julio Maglione, President, International Swimming Federation “Aquatics is prepared for this major rendezvous - in our five disciplines, our stars will prove that the countless hours for preparation, training and qualification will pay off with outstanding results.

As it always happens, the years of preparation leading to the Games are always difficult. During this period, our main concern is to ensure that optimal conditions are provided not only for our athletes and

officials, but also to all those working at the aquatic venues.

It is no secret that the present political and economic situation in Brazil is not as stable as when Rio was awarded the staging of the Games, back in 2009. This has brought some difficulties, namely important cuts in the budget and the change in the venues’ planning for our disciplines. FINA had to adapt to this environment, but has always pledged that the number one priority - the competition conditions for our athletes, namely in terms of safety - must be guaranteed.

FINA and the IOC have made their best

possible effort to deliver a sustainable Games, and we have reasons to be optimistic. Brazil will show to the world a superb competition and the Rio citizens will certainly live an unforgettable experience.

As it happened at London 2012, FINA expects aquatics to be at the top of the TV audiences during the Rio Games. The beauty of our disciplines and the performances by our pool and open water swimmers, water polo players, synchronised swimmers and divers will once more amaze the world and demonstrate the attractiveness of our sport.”

Liam Morgan

Archery

Professor Doctor Uğur Erdener, President, World Archery “Rio 2016 will be a success for archery. At the last Olympic Games, the archery venue was rated as one of the highest for spectator satisfaction by ticket holders and received significant coverage on television around the world.

International archery competitions are often held in iconic places and the Sambódromo will be the latest in a long list of impressive venues, which includes events held in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, at the Bosphorus and - at the last Olympics - in Lord’s

Cricket Ground.

Our test event in September 2015 gave an idea of the potential of Sambódromo as an archery venue. It is, after all, the perfect shape for the sport - long and quite thin and offers a dramatic backdrop for TV and photography with views out onto the mountain and, in the distance, the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

In a sport that revolves around achieving excellence with every arrow, this makes for exceptional competition for spectators.

Whether we have a world record, a Cinderella story or witness the dominance of a sportsperson achieving their potential, we will see the world’s best archers display

the very best the sport has to offer in Rio. Over the past few years, Brazil has been supported by World Archery development staff to implement national training plans and improve elite performance, which resulted in the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing and first Archery World Cup Final podium, both courtesy of Marcus D’Almedia.

The entire Brazilian archery team has progressed in its competitive level at international competition and this will leave an important legacy for the sport in Brazil when the Games are over.”

Nick Butler

Athletics

Sebastian Coe, President, International Association of Athletics Federations “It will be a very good event and the message to people is, ‘Come and watch it’.

You will see some of the most outstanding athletes not just of their generation, but in the history of the sport.

I have spent a lot of time in Rio and this city has a unique spirit. It’s an extraordinary city and it will absorb the Games. I think people www.facebook.com/insidethegames

will be surprised by the spirit these Games will generate.

London was seen as a creative, competent, diverse, smart city that was unbelievably welcoming. And I’m a Londoner and can say that Londoners are not always noted for that.

We were seen as a city that reached out, and I’m absolutely convinced that’s what Rio will do. People who are here will feel very welcome and very wanted and that’s a priceless asset to have when you’re @insidethegames

delivering a Games.

You have to accept that you will have some set-backs and how you deal with these will define the quality of the Games. Your relationships have to be resilient, you have to trust each other - trust in each other’s ability - and be honest and open when things go wrong.

Yes, you will have bad days, but you are defined by how you bounce back.”

Duncan Mackay

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Badminton

Poul-Erik Høyer, President, World Badminton Federation “We had a facility which was already in place so we were not concerned about the main construction, it was more the detail.

The light rig, because of the ceiling, was not strong enough to carry it so we needed to think about that.

“Badminton is wind sensitive and between the walls and the ceiling there was an

open-air area that we had to seal. I am not quite sure if everything is ready yet but we will travel to Rio in mid-July to make all the finishing touches but everything appears to be okay.

“It is ready for a game of badminton which we can be proud of. There are some small details but the human eye is not aware of it and they will not realise it - only those who are aware of it will be able to see it.

“There is huge competition in the ladies’ singles for sure and that will be very

interesting to follow as there are a number of possibilities. It is totally open and at least eight to 10 players are able to win so that I will follow with huge interest.

“For the men’s singles, it is always interesting - the epic could be Lee ChongWei of Malaysia and China’s Lin Dan in the final and that is something to look forward to. Fingers crossed there will be some good matches and I’m sure there will be.”

Liam Morgan

Basketball

Horacio Muratore, President, International Basketball Federation “The Olympic basketball tournament for men and women at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games will be the highlight event of the year for our sport and is sure to take Brazil and the rest of the world by storm.

“Having the Olympic basketball tournament in a country like Brazil, which is so passionate

about sports and offers a wide array of culture and entertainment, will only help to make it an unforgettable experience for all concerned.

“We look forward to seeing some of our brightest stars - the likes of LeBron James, Pau Gasol, Luis Scola, Yi Jianlian, to mention a few - put on a show for all the fans in the venues and all those following the action across the globe.

“When it comes to the Olympics, basketball is always one of the hottest tickets and Rio 2016

will be no different.

“This August, everyone will want to witness our amazing athletes showcase their impressive talents while also closely following the battle of the 24 best teams - 12 men’s and 12 women’s - to be crowned Olympic champions and proudly take medals home for their countries.

“The level of competition is sure to be the best we have had to date.”

Michael Pavitt

Boxing

Dr C K Wu, President, International Boxing Association “AIBA is the last International Federation without professionals competing in the Olympics, so I think based on the Agenda 2020, we had to think how to open the door to them. That’s why we called the Extraordinary Congress regarding the eligibility of the

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[professional] boxers.

“We’re giving the authority to the National Federations. National Federations have the AOB (AIBA Open Boxing), the WSB (World Series of Boxing), the APB (AIBA Pro Boxing).

Now it’s outside professionals from their own country. It’s a time for them to think how to compose their team and then if necessary, go to the qualifiers.

“We are the only recognised boxing association by the IOC. The IOC gave all this

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trust to us - ‘Okay, you’re the IF like all the other Olympic International Federations, you decide on eligibility’. So we’ve based it on that, simple. Of course, we’ve also received tremendous feedback and support - AIBA should do this - and [regarding] those people with a negative or different opinion, we don’t say anything.

“Everybody has the right of free speech but we know what we’re doing.”

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Canoeing

José Perurena, President, International Canoe Federation “I’m sure that the canoeing venues will be one of the best facilities in Rio 2016. Also it has a crystalline water of high quality and it will create a superb legacy for the sport.

The Rio 2016 slalom course is probably already the most tested course we have ever

had at an Olympic Games. We have worked initially with models, and then done extensive work on it.

We don’t have any big concerns in any area. It is a closed venue, so we have control over the quality of the water.

Rio 2016 has been solving the problems and challenges that arise with some Olympic venues.

We have conducted a test of the sprint venue

with generally good impressions and we are continually evolving.

Twelve gold medals, eight for men and eight for women, will be on offer in the canoe sprint competitions, while four golds are available in the men’s C-1, men’s C-2, men’s K-1 and women’s K-1 events.”

Liam Morgan

Cycling

Brian Cookson, President, International Cycling Union “The 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games will provide the perfect platform for our sport to grow in an important territory.

We will have an incredible road race route which will provide a fantastic experience for riders and an

incredible backdrop for the billions who will watch on TV and online.

We will see what is expected to be the best ever Olympic mountain bike course, three more nations compete in BMX and more of the world’s very best riders compete in sprint and keirin.

The UCI remains extremely concerned, however, about ongoing delays to the construction of the Velodrome and have

raised regular concerns with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the IOC. It has been a very difficult process and the fact that these delays have pushed back any form of test event is very worrying.

There is still a lot of work to do to ensure that riders have the best competition conditions possible.”

Michael Pavitt

Equestrian

Ingmar De Vos, President, International Equestrian Federation “The cutbacks in the budget is a challenge, although we have been informed that it will have no impact on the sport itself. We’re working closely with the Organising Committee to see where they want to make these cuts and how we can help them to make the most cost effective cuts and find solutions for that.

But that’s probably in general and for all of the sports - the big challenge for the Games in general. Then also for most of the international

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Olympic federations, there are the delays we’re experiencing in the completion of the venues. It is also the case for the cluster of venues where we’re in Deodoro.

So, we’re also experiencing that but the Organising Committee is always assuring us that they will be completed in time so if you ask specifically for our venue, for the equestrian venue, then we have some delays in some of the new stable blocks for the horses being fitted. The final training arenas still need to be completed.

Then there is the construction of the porch, the place where our farriers work, which also needs to be finalised as well as the veterinary clinic.

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So this is all work in progress, they’re building, but it’s not finished yet.

But I would say we’re quite confident that it will happen and it will be finalised in time and then another thing is the maintenance of what is existing.

We have a very specific course for our cross country, which is in place, but we need to have good maintenance for the footing and a good irrigation system. The same is the case for the all-weather footing in our main arena and in our training arena.

So it’s on the one half construction, and on the other half, maintaining what is in place.”

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LIAM MORGAN REPORTER, INSIDETHEGAMES

Fencing

Alisher Usmanov, President, International Fencing Federation “Every year, fencing becomes more and more popular in Brazil.

The leading Brazilian fencers - Nathalie Moellhausen and Guilherme Toldo - are both aiming for Olympic medals and Brazilian interest in our sport is increasing.

The Olympics will boost fencing’s profile and I think that after the Games we will see a marked increase in both the number of fans and participants in this sport.

Despite some difficulties, the experts at the FIE are satisfied with the venue that will host the

fencing competition. The FIE is working very closely with the organisers to sell tickets and generate interest in the tournaments. We are implementing the ‘Road to Rio’ programme which aims to increase the popularity of fencing in Brazil and around the world, as well as improve television ratings and increase online engagement.

The nature of fencing is such that you cannot always determine when a hit has been landed.

Over the course of many years, the FIE has adopted the latest technology and introduced multiple changes to ensure that the referees can make the correct decision. We are actively working to make the duels clearer and more understandable for spectators and fans alike.

Since 2012, television viewers have been able to listen to commentary in addition to watching the matches take place. This new measure allows the commentators to explain the particularities of the fencing rules to viewers and to give them more information about the technical aspects of the sport and the athletes themselves.

These days, with the help of the Olympic Channel, fencing is preparing educational programmes; these discuss the different kinds of weapons that are used and explain the rules for the widest possible audience. These clips will also be shown to spectators watching the fencing.”

Nick Butler

Golf

Peter Dawson, President, International Golf Federation “The design of the course has been everything we hoped it would be and the staff have done a fantastic job getting it into wonderful condition so we are very pleased. There was a little bit of work to do around the clubhouse but that’s in hand so we are very pleased.

We are very satisfied and are looking forward to it. You’re going to see a combination of the world’s top players and a very good geographical spread of players of national interest from various countries around the world.

At the Olympics you often watch sports you don’t normally see and we are hoping that is going to be true for golf to help grow the game. I think the golfers are going to have an experience they will never forget, mixing with the athletes from other sports, which is something they don’t get to do normally and will be something they remember for the rest of their lives. All in all, I think golf’s return is great on many levels.

It is a very small number of players who have decided not to go and we’re very sorry about that. At the moment we are looking at the vast majority of the top players making the trip and playing for the gold medal. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

I am disappointed frankly. It is up to each individual to decide their own destiny and obviously I am disappointed but they’re going to be missing out on potentially a very special time in their lives and I am sorry they are not going to participate.

I think golf’s closest parallel is tennis. Tennis took a little while to settle down but now you see the top tennis players very keen to win medals and I think golf will be like that, possibly even quicker than tennis.

As you get in to a generation which grows up with golf as an Olympic sport then you’re going to see a slightly different attitude than golfers who haven’t. These things take a little time. @insidethegames

In the early years of tennis at the Games, quite a lot of top players didn’t play - Pete Sampras never played - it has moved on since then and I’m sure golf will be the same.

We had a lot of the smaller countries come to us and say that if golf was an Olympic sport it would really change the game in their country as it would increase Government financial support and awareness. It was those smaller countries en masse who said we really should do this and then golf had a real go. They were the motivators and that’s what motivated us to get it done.”

Liam Morgan

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Football

Gianni Infantino, President, FIFA “Passion for sports, in particular football, is synonymous with South America and having hosted two FIFA World Cups, Brazil is an ideal location for the upcoming Olympic football tournament.

It is wonderful to see that six of the 12 host cities from the 2014 FIFA World Cup: Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Manaus, Salvador, São Paulo and Brazil’s capital city Brasilia, will once again welcome some of the world’s biggest names in football, as well as their dedicated fans. This summer’s Olympic football tournament will be compelling viewing for the fans travelling to Brazil to support their

national teams and the millions anxiously following each twist and turn of their national team’s quest for Olympic glory on TV screens around the globe.

The women’s Olympic football tournament is certain to intensify interest in the women’s game and build on the momentum generated by the incredible success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada last year.

Players like record-breaking, five-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Winner Marta, will take to the pitch aiming to add a gold medal to Brazil’s two previous silvers. She will have to contend with the winners of FIFA Women’s World Cup, the USA who will be hungrily defending their outstanding winning streak of three consecutive Olympic gold medal wins.

The other national teams will be joined by Zimbabwe, who will compete in the women’s Olympic football tournament for the first time in Brazil.

The men’s Olympic football tournament is equally as hotly anticipated and I look forward to seeing how hosts Brazil, captained by Neymar, will try to achieve their goal, of winning a first Olympic gold medal for football.

Reigning Olympic football champions Mexico, who beat Brazil with an impressive performance at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, travel to Rio determined to retain their gold medal. Fiji take part in the tournament for the first time which is certain to generate much excitement.”

Liam Morgan

Gymnastics

Bruno Grandi, President, International Gymnastics Federation “We were pleasantly surprised that, per minute of television coverage, gymnastics was on average the most watched sport of the London Olympic Games. To see gymnastics get promoted as one of the top-tier Olympic sports is the best reward that we could wish for.

Gymnastics is a true spectacle and I have every reason to believe that the show will be breath-taking at the Rio Olympics this August.

Above all, this is because we have the chance to see extraordinary athletes, as we witnessed at our last artistic, rhythmic and trampoline

World Championships.

I shall mention only one. Kohei Uchimura of Japan holds a simply extraordinary record: he is undefeated in the all-around competition since 2009, taking the last six world titles and the Olympic title in 2012.

Such domination is all the more remarkable as athletes continue to push the standard of acrobatics ever higher. While some tend to focus on difficulty at the expense of execution, Uchimura gives true meaning to the word “artistic” in his perpetual quest for perfect movement.

At the Rio Games, more and more young women in their 20s will be eyeing the podiums, demonstrating that athletes can now contemplate a long career in our sport.

This is one of the tangible results of the minimum age limit that we introduced a few years ago, of which we can be justly proud.

During the Games, it is the athletes and not the judges who should find themselves in the spotlight. Thanks to technological advances, we have further strengthened our educational programmes and control measures to ensure the highest levels of excellence amongst the judges.

There is no better setting than the Olympic stage on which to showcase our gymnasts’ performances. In the Barra Olympic Park this August, the show should be every bit as enchanting as the samba.”

Michael Pavitt

Handball

Dr Hassan Moustafa, President, International Handball Federation “The introduction of new rules, which were tested last year, will bring some challenges along. They will come into force on July 1, 2016 - that means only one month before the Olympic Games. But the teams

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have received the rules early enough to be able to familiarise themselves with them and adapt their play if necessary.

Our goal is to increase the popularity of our sport and attract more people to play handball and we hope that this is one of many steps to promote handball in Brazil and in the end, also in South America.

“The IHF organised two World

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Championships in Brazil - the 2011 Women’s World Championships and the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships - and we can praise the Brazilian people who gave us a warm welcome and provided a great atmosphere with their passion for sports.”

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MICHAEL PAVITT REPORTER, INSIDETHEGAMES

Hockey

Leandro Negre, President, International Hockey Federation “Our expectations are not the same as the past, especially from London, but everything at Rio 2016 will be good on another level. We are expecting to have full

stadiums and we hope to use the Olympic Games to promote hockey in Brazil.

The venue is okay with two beautiful pitches. We are on one of the Olympic Parks which is important for us.

I think England is a hockey country, Brazil is not the same. Argentina are great, that will help us a lot but I don’t expect so much

from the Brazilians.

They don’t have the same knowledge of hockey. But, if you look, Brazil is always good in team sports - football, volleyball, basketball, so why not hockey? The Olympics could help hockey become one day a part of their culture.”

Michael Pavitt

Since the test event we have also seen great progress with the 15,000 capacity temporary stadium going up. Everything is set for amazing men’s and women’s rugby tournaments infused with dynamic energy and wonderful excitement.

This is a landmark moment in South American sport and a huge opportunity for Brazil, and the Organising Committee and other key stakeholders have responded very well to the challenges that they have faced.

Our own experience in terms of the preparation for rugby sevens, has been about collaboration and despite some early challenges, the collaboration and determination to deliver an outstanding event, has been excellent.

In terms of rugby growth in Brazil we have also made fantastic progress. Through outreach programmes like ‘Get into Rugby’ and ‘Impact Beyond’, we are seizing the chance to nurture the game and in 2015 alone more than

100,000 children were introduced to rugby - a number that is set to grow with rugby already one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country.

In partnership with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, we recently launched a further legacy programme with the inauguration of the Campo de Rugby Professor Manoel José Gomes Tubino, a purpose-built highperformance training venue at Rio’s Federal University that will provide a permanent facility for rugby in Rio after the Games.

Despite some early challenges, we are happy with the progress of the rugby sevens venue, the facilities and the overall competition logistics.

We have a good working relationship with the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and we’re looking forward to what promises to be a very special re-introduction to the Olympic Games.”

Daniel Etchells

Rugby

Bill Beaumont, Chairman, World Rugby “Preparations are on track for a wonderful celebration of sport and we are anticipating an incredible reception from fans in Rio and around the world who will experience our dynamic and exciting sport in the festival atmosphere of the Deodoro Olympic Park.

Quite simply, Rio 2016 will be a game-changer for rugby worldwide. We’re hugely excited and honoured to be back on the Olympic stage. It’s not just about our sport being present on sport’s greatest stage, it is about reaching, inspiring and engaging new players and fans worldwide through an unprecedented broadcast and social engagement platform.

It is difficult to overstate how important Olympic inclusion has been for rugby. We have collectively embraced this opportunity, which is a major and exciting catalyst behind record participation growth with Governments, National Olympic Committees and educational structures embracing and investing in the sport.

There is no doubt that rugby’s re-inclusion in the Olympic Games was one of the most significant events in the sport’s history.

Participation numbers have doubled since rugby was awarded an Olympic place seven years ago and we now have 7.73 million players across 120 member unions worldwide, with women, our fastest growing area, now representing 30 per cent of that total, which is really exciting.

The test event was a great success. We saw some fantastic performances, especially the Brazil women who romped to victory creating a fantastic boost for the game which is already growing rapidly in the region. www.facebook.com/insidethegames

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DUNCAN MACKAY EDITOR, INSIDETHEGAMES

Judo

Marius Vizer, President, International Judo Federation “The test event was really an excellent tournament. We can say that we have tested everything, even the public, which was really amazing.

We have a nice venue and the domestic staff is simply really good.

The main aspect was the great collaboration between our teams and the amazing

atmosphere that prevailed throughout the competition.

We are pleased with the progress of the organisation as far as our sport is concerned and we are confident the judo event will be successful in the Olympic Games.”

Duncan Mackay

Sailing

Carlo Croce, President, World Sailing “Sailing holds a special place in Brazil’s sporting culture. Icons such as Torben Grael, Marcelo Ferreira and Robert Scheidt, just to mention a few, have driven their country forward, engraving sailing into the minds of millions, ensuring it’s the most successful Olympic sport for the nation.

The Grael family name is a Brazilian institution and Scheidt, a national hero.

Under Grael’s leadership, Scheidt will be aiming for a sixth consecutive Olympic medal at Rio 2016, a feat only achieved by one other Olympian. The opportunity to pick up the accolade at a home Olympic Games would even give a silver or bronze medal a golden sparkle.

Sailing is blessed to have such wonderful ambassadors for the sport in Brazil but Scheidt will be just one of 380 sailors at Rio 2016. Across the 64 confirmed nations, every continent will be widely represented in each of the 10 sailing events.

Racing out of Marina da Gloria, inside and outside of Guanabara Bay, the much publicised locations for the Rio 2016 Olympic sailing competition, sailing has a unique opportunity, in that it will be at the

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heart of the Games.

Whilst Guanabara Bay and Marina da Gloria have had their challenges, World Sailing has primarily remained focused on ensuring the field of play on Guanabara Bay is safe and suitable for all Olympic and Paralympic competitors.

Through our work with Rio 2016 and governmental authorities, we have the detailed plans in place to ensure a fair

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competition for all competitors.

Racing under the shadow of the Sugarloaf Mountain, under the watch of Christ the Redeemer and alongside the famous Flamengo and Copacabana Beaches, the natural backdrop will ensure sailing is propelled into the eyes and thoughts of millions around the world.”

Michael Pavitt

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Modern pentathlon

Dr h. c. Klaus Schormann, President, International Modern Pentathlon Union “We have to promote our sport through the media to bring people’s attention to this competition, especially to the bonus fencing, which will feature for the first time at the Olympic Games, together with the riding, swimming and the

combined run and shoot.

I think this is a historical moment in the Olympic Movement. We started in 1996 in Atlanta with the one-day format. We started in London at 2012 with the combined and laser shooting. And so now we have again another big challenge with the bonus fencing.

So this for us takes very special work now to give enough information to the media and

to the agencies to understand what we’re delivering historically also on the technical side. As we all have learned in recent years through the new shooting system, the new pistol system, there is so much technique involved in our sport now that we can say we really have a very modern sport with high technology.”

Daniel Etchells

Rowing

Jean-Christophe Rolland, President, International Rowing Federation “For rowing, the importance of the Olympic Games cannot be overestimated. For rowers, competing at the Olympic Games marks the pinnacle of their rowing career.

FISA has announced a record 72 nations qualified to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic rowing regattas, including eight South American nations. South America in particular is a region where rowing is expanding its presence and developing in popularity at both the recreational and elite level. It is hoped that the Rio 2016 Olympics will boost this enthusiasm and drive further growth.

The rowing regatta course at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is an exceptional venue,

surrounded by some of the most iconic images of Rio de Janeiro. Located in the heart of the city, it lies between the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and the base of the Corcovado Mountain and is overlooked by the Christ the Redeemer statue.

In such a magnificent setting, the rowing venue will undoubtedly receive considerable media attention and the television images created will be spectacular.

The competition promises to be exceptional in all 14 boat classes of the programme, from the singles to the eights, in both the men’s and the women’s events.

The women’s single sculls event this year is impatiently awaited with the clash between Australia’s Kim Brennan and New Zealand’s Emma Twigg highly anticipated. Brennan is the 2015 world champion and Twigg the 2014 world champion.

Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, the New Zealand men’s pair, come to Rio as defending Olympic champions with a record-breaking longest winning streak that began back in 2009. They are likely to break even more records when they compete in Rio. The eight, the rowing blue riband event, tends to be the event that attracts new fans to the sport of rowing. This year, the United States’ women’s eight qualified early on and as both world champions and Olympic champions; they will be looking to defend their title in Rio. By contrast, the United States’ men’s eight qualified at the 11th hour and will join a strong field of contenders, including Olympic champions Germany and world champions Great Britain, in the quest for 2016 Olympic glory.”

Michael Pavitt

Shooting

Olegario Vázquez Raña, President, International Sport Shooting Federation

“We are looking forward to a great Olympic Games edition in Rio de Janeiro.

The International Olympic Committee and the Organising Committee are doing an excellent job to ensure the best conditions for our athletes. Rio 2016 will be a great sport festival.

I am sure the carioca will make for a wonderful atmosphere and ensure that everyone has a memorable time.”

Duncan Mackay

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Table Tennis

Thomas Weikert, President, International Table Tennis Federation “The players at the test event [in November of last year], overall, were very satisfied. We tested the same equipment we will have at the Olympics.

That means green

flooring and the same tables and the same equipment. So, I think we’re very well prepared and I guess also our hosts will present it very good.

All the preparations are smooth and I think this is also an advantage for table tennis over other sports because we have a venue which is existing and we can concentrate on the other things. I know from the media

that there are some difficulties outside of sport, but this is fortunately not our problem because we have an existing venue and we have to concentrate on the small problems, not the bigger ones.

“We know that table tennis [in Brazil] is not like it is in China or Japan, but the Brazilian team have improved a lot.”

Daniel Etchells

Volleyball

Ary Graça, President, International Volleyball Federation “It is an honour and very humbling to be the President of the FIVB heading into a home Olympic Games. My passion for volleyball was nurtured growing up in Brazil where the sport is a way of life. It is the one sport which can rival the popularity of football in the country and you will see during Rio 2016 just how loved it really is!

As a former player, it makes me very proud to see Brazilian athletes having the opportunity to play in a home Olympics on home soil in front of their own family and friends and the entire nation behind them.

Rio is already home to one of the most iconic volleyball venues in the world Maracanãzinho - which has proven its hosting credentials over the years by hosting a number of FIVB flagship competitions including the FIVB World League Finals last year.

For beach volleyball it will be returning to its spiritual home at the world-famous Copacabana Beach, which was the scene of the original Beach Volleyball World Championships and where beach volleyball was given the green light by the late Juan Antonio Samaranch to enter the Olympic Games, and which will provide one of the most stunning backdrops for sport in Olympic history.

Volleyball events at Rio 2016 are set to be incredibly competitive and unpredictable. As volleyball continues to expand and grow worldwide we are seeing new teams emerging and challenging for titles. We have had a record 169 countries take part in qualification for the beach volleyball event. At Rio 2016,

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there will be nations competing for the first time in beach volleyball such as Egypt and in volleyball such as Cameroon, Iran and Puerto Rico.

At the FIVB we have a clear vision to make volleyball the number one family sport entertainment in the world which we are aiming to achieve through engagement, innovation and universality. The Olympic Games are integral to this vision and Rio 2016 will provide an invaluable platform to take the sport to the next level.

Rio 2016 will not only demonstrate volleyball’s unprecedented worldwide growth over the past few years but will also act as a springboard for the FIVB to attract more people around the world to take part in the sport. One of the main aims outlined in the FIVB’s nine goals is to move volleyball from group two to group one in the IOC ranking and we expect that the Games will show our sport is worthy of being part of IOC Group One. In Rio we will be using innovation and the

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latest state-of-the-art technology to maximise fan engagement and educate fans on the rules of the game so that they can truly enjoy the experience. The Hawk-Eye Challenge System and tablets for referees will all feature for the very first time at an Olympic Games in Rio and we will place volleyball at the cutting edge of coverage.

We are also in constant dialogue with social media networks such as Twitter to enhance content quality while a concerted effort has gone into improving the sports presentation experience, providing a real focus on the athletes and their magnificent achievements on the court.

In addition to the two venues, we will also have a Volleyball House for the first time at an Olympic Games as well as unique development activities around Rio and on six FIVB courts on Copacabana Beach to provide more exciting opportunities for people to connect with volleyball, like never before.”

Nick Butler

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Taekwondo

Choue Chung-won, President, World Taekwondo Federation “We had a wonderfully successful taekwondo competition at the London Olympic Games, but we believe the coming Games in Rio will be the best one yet. The atmosphere in Rio is really wonderful and the Organising Committee is working very hard to ensure everything goes well.

After every Olympic Games, we change a little bit, little by little, such as shrinking the competition area and introducing new competition rules and regulations.

In Rio, we are introducing the octagonal shape of the competition area for the first time. This will replace the square version that was used up to the London 2012 Games. By removing the corners that more defensive fighters could use to delay engagement, the new design will promote more continuous action.

Athletes will be able to wear trousers representative of the athletes’ national team colour, with National Associations allowed to pick one colour, including white, for all their competitors to wear. The introduction of coloured pants for athletes will transform the look of competition, adding to the vibrant, carnival atmosphere

in Rio, and will give athletes an even greater sense of national pride as they compete for their countries.

These are two of many innovations the WTF has introduced to bring more excitement, action and drama to the taekwondo competitions at Rio 2016.

Also we will have a sensor system in the head gear, which will improve accuracy and transparency. In London we did not have the sensor system in the headgear so it all depended on the referees. But now, with this new equipment, the competition will be fairer and more transparent.”

Nick Butler

Tennis

David Haggerty, President, International Tennis Federation “The ITF takes a very active role in the preparation of every Olympic tennis event.

The Olympic tennis event is one of the most important events in the tennis calendar and that is supported by the participation of the world’s top tennis players - our elite athletes.

Elevating tennis’ position with the Olympic Games was one of my key strategic directions following my election as ITF President and so we are doing everything

we can to deliver the best event at Rio. We work very closely with the Organising Committee to ensure the best possible conditions for our athletes and a positive experience for media and our fans, both in the venue and the millions watching at home.

One huge positive at Rio 2016 is the beautiful new Olympic Tennis Center, which will not just provide a world-class environment for elite tennis during the Games but will offer a great legacy for Brazilian tennis.

When the plans for the Center were developed, we insisted that the facility be

constructed to the highest standards so that major tennis tournaments could be staged there following the Games. This has worked very successfully in both Sydney and in Beijing and will leave a lasting legacy in Rio which has a great tennis tradition.

However, like at any Olympic Games, there are challenges that need to be addressed to make the facility as good as it can possibly be. We are working with the IOC and Rio 2016 to make that happen and we are confident that the necessary changes will be made on time.”

Daniel Etchells

Triathlon

Marisol Casado, President, International Triathlon Union “Triathlon is located at one of the most iconic beaches in the world. We are very excited to have Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain as the backdrop of the women’s and men’s Olympic triathlon races. The images we will have of the 2016 Olympic triathlon races will be unforgettable.

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The talent we have lining up at Copacabana Beach for both the men’s and women’s race is absolutely incredible. We have athletes that could have qualified to represent their countries in additional sports such as the marathon and 10,000 metres. I truly believe triathlon has the best athletes at the Olympics, and I expect triathlon to be more exciting than ever before with very close, down-to-the-line finishes.

On the women’s side, the United States women and British women are particularly

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strong, but don’t count out powerhouses from smaller countries like returning gold medallist Nicola Spirig of Switzerland and New Zealand’s Andrea Hewitt.

The men’s race has been set up as a showdown between Spain and Team GB, with the men’s entire London 2012 podium returning to race again. But new talent has bubbled up with young Spanish athletes, as well as in France and South Africa.”

Liam Morgan

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Weightlifting

Tamás Aján, President, International Weightlifting Federation “Some of our colleagues working in other sports or other International Federations have huge concerns regarding the preparation and readiness of the Games and we do share their concerns.

In the remaining period, there is going to be time to settle at least the most important issues.

The biggest challenge right now is the limited time to get everything done and deliver what they promised. The budget cuts and the economic situation are leaving

us a little bit in the unknown.

I don’t think we really know how much it will affect either the sports or its presentation during the Olympic Games.

Compared to previous test events, the major concern was not having it in the venue where the actual competition will be held.

I would say this is down to weightlifting not being the most popular sport in Brazil, as well as their financial difficulties.

The South American Weightlifting Federation was highly involved in the organisation besides the Organising Committee and the IWF. The South American Championships served as

competition for the test event.

It’s very difficult to test something when you are not really in the facility where the weightlifting event will be held during the Olympic Games; however, we’re very satisfied with our weightlifting sport manager Pedro Meloni and his devoted team.

They are contributing a lot to the success of weightlifting sport and the weightlifting event, and we have a very close cooperation with them. We hope that the challenges can be taken during the Olympic Games and everything will run smoothly.”

Daniel Etchells

Wrestling

Nenad Lalović, President, United World Wrestling “The wrestling competition will be very different from at London 2012 and other Games. We have improved our rules and changed our presentation.

One change is that competitors will no longer be required to wear traditional red and blue uniforms. They will now be able to wear their home colours with light and dark versions of competition gear. This will make it easier for supporters to distinguish between different competing nations.

The traditional wrestling mat colours of yellow and red, first adopted for the 1972 Games in Munich, have been replaced with dark blue and orange in order to improve the online and television viewing experience.

Referees, who once wore a suit and tie, will now wear a polo shirt and trousers.

We have also reinstated the five-point throw for Greco-Roman competition when opponents are arched and land in a danger position. We have brought in a number of rule revisions, including increased penalties for illegal actions and the elimination of

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one-point exposure.

Two new female freestyle weight categories have been introduced in order to increase gender equality. There will be six events in both the men’s freestyle and men’s Greco Roman disciplines.

This is part of an on-going effort to modernise the sport of wrestling after the IOC voted for the sport to return to the Olympic programme over squash and baseball and softball during the 2013 IOC Session in Buenos Aires.

These changes are part of a general rebranding effort in which the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles changed its name to United World Wrestling. These changes are not revolutionary but will make a difference and I believe the image will improve both on TV and for fans in the stadium.

We hope that these adjustments will help generate even more interest in the sport of wrestling. We are continuing to innovate our sport and take seriously the recommendations of the IOC and the goals of Agenda 2020.

Wrestling is due to take place in the Carioca Arena 2 in the Olympic Park, the same venue at which judo will be held. This gives us an advantage as the wrestling competition will

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come after the judo one so can follow on from them.

Both sports are taking care of the venue together. I was informed at the beginning of the year that work in our venues is almost finished and we have no major problems.

By the end of January, we were told that about 50 per cent of tickets have been sold and we are confident that tickets will continue to prove popular as the second round of sales begins.”

Nick Butler

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The Transformational Games Rio 2016 will not sell as many tickets for the Paralympic Games as London did four years ago but the long-term benefits to the city and the rest of Brazil could be even more far-reaching, as Michael Pavitt found out

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n September 9, 2012, the Paralympic Games in London drew to a close with a ringing endorsement from International Paralympic Committee President Sir Philip Craven.

The former wheelchair basketball player made the declaration that in his mind and those of the athletes it had been without doubt “the greatest Paralympic Games ever”.

An improved transport system for people with impairments could be one of the biggest benefits of Rio 2016. Photo: Getty Images

With record crowds, more broadcasters than ever before, as well as the highest number of athletes and countries taking part in the Games, it was perhaps hard to argue against his assertion. Nearly four years on, the key question remains: How will the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro live up to those standards?

The signs have not been particularly promising for the host country, with organisers admitting in March that not enough had been

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done to sell tickets for the Games, which prompted an education and promotional programme to be launched. At the 100-days-togo mark, the IPC claimed that a third of 2.5 million tickets, a revised figure from the initial 3.1 million tickets due to venue configurations, had been sold for the Games.

As a key part of the success of London 2012 was due to virtually all the stadiums and arenas having been full for competition, the number of tickets left unsold will be a major concern that organisers will hope alleviates before the Opening Ceremony gets under way on September 7.

A programme from the Rio City Government to buy 500,000 tickets, to be given to students with good grades at school, was launched in June to ease the concern. The notion that the Brazilian population are traditionally late buyers has been frequently repeated in the build-up.

Brazilian Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons is confident that his country will be able to maintain the momentum of the Paralympic Movement, generated by the past two Summer Games in Beijing and London.

“It was clear that there was one message, one identity and that they were two parts of one package, in terms of communication and marketing,” the IPC vice-president reflected on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“I think this is something that we have learned. We have had a taste of it in Rio for the Parapan American Games in 2007. It was very important for people to be experiencing Paralympic sport, not only on television and on the internet, but really engaging with the athletes and seeing the Brazilian athletes winning medals.”

The 39-year-old, head of the CPB since 2009, believes it is important to drive home the message to the population that the Games can become a “transformational event”.

He argues that for the price of a cinema ticket, the Brazilian public could attend one of the 23 sports due to be contested at the 15th edition of the Paralympic Games and help to change attitudes towards people with impairments.

“We are working to provide the Brazilian population with the perfect day,” he told insidethegames. “You bring your family to the Games, you get to know the venues and see the Brazilian athletes fighting and winning medals.

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Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes received the Paralympic flag at Rio 2016. Photo: Getty Images

“You can transform the attitudes of your family, of your sons or parents, whatever. You can transform the way you think about someone with an impairment. If we can produce that experience then we will have more people in Brazil engaged in Paralympic sport.”

Parsons will be able to count on a strong home team to help ensure that the country tune into the Games. At London 2012, the Brazilian delegation met an ambitious target of finishing seventh on the overall medals table, earning 21 gold, 14 silver and eight bronze. Only China, Russia, Britain, Ukraine, Australia and the United States left the Games boasting higher tallies.

The ambition this time is to rise a further two places in the final standings to fifth at Rio 2016.

Parsons admits the target to rise two places in the medals table is “very aggressive” due to

London 2012 was the most successful Paralympic Games in history. Photo: Getty Images

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Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias has already won 10 Paralympic gold medals and is set to be a star of Rio 2016. Photo: Getty Images

Australia and the US, who finished in fifth and sixth respectively in London, being “powerhouses in Paralympic sport”. The scale of the task is also shown by both countries having finished with 11 and 10 gold medals more than Brazil four years ago.

Around 260 athletes are set to represent the hosts throughout the duration of the Games, with Daniel Dias expected to be the focus of attention. The 28-year-old has spearheaded the Brazilian team’s challenge for medals at the past two Summer Paralympics. The S5 category swimmer earned four gold medals at Beijing 2008 before winning a further six at London 2012. Only Australian swimmer Jacqueline Freney bettered that tally, claiming eight gold medals.

Last year, Dias claimed four titles to help the Brazilian team finish fourth on the medals table at the IPC Swimming World Championships in www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Glasgow. The country also placed seventh at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha.

Buoyed by the successes and benefiting from having more sponsors to help prepare athletes better, Parsons is confident that the team can make a strong push for the fifth-place finish and expects success to come from across the 23 sports.

“Athletics and swimming, we have a very good chance of winning a lot of medals, as well as football five-a-side, where Brazil are the current Paralympic champions,” he said. “But also some new sports such as canoeing, which is having its debut, and I would also say in sitting volleyball.

“Boccia, we had a very good performance in London with three gold medals and one bronze, and we want to improve that result. We want more golds but also more athletes winning medals, it does not matter if it is bronze, @insidethegames

silver or gold.”

With the Games coming to South America for the first time, Parsons also believes that the National Governments of countries across the continent have changed their attitudes towards Paralympic sport. He claims that as a result of the Games, the CPB are working in cooperation with more nations from the region than ever before and expects Rio 2016 to continue to change the perception of Paralympic sport and people with impairments across the continent.

Parsons’ views are echoed by Sir Philip, who expressed his view that the Games will showcase the best-ever performances at Paralympic level.

“As with London and Beijing, we have got a great national team and that is fundamental for success,” said Sir Philip. “As we have been watching the different qualification events, test events and World Championships in many

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THIS IS

KARATE

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Brazilian Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons is joined by Rio 2016 mascot Tom to help promote the Games. Photo: Getty Images

summer sports over the past few years, the performances have just been absolutely mind-blowing.

“There is one thing that we can already say. That is that Rio 2016 will be the best-ever Paralympic Games in terms of athletic performance. If you can get great national performance, connected to best-ever athletic performance worldwide, you are going to get the crowds and the television coverage.”

While Rio 2016 will not break the record 2.76 million ticket sales achieved at London 2012, the IPC remains confident of attracting a cumulative global television audience of more than four billion people for the first time.

The commitment of NBC Sports, criticised for not showing any live action from London 2012, to show more than 66 hours of coverage is seen as a major boost to the Paralympic Movement in the US. As Rio de Janeiro prepares to welcome around 4,350 athletes from 190 countries for the Paralympics, both Sir Philip and Parsons are convinced that the city is in a better place to cater for the needs of competitors and fans than it has been in the past. The Games, Parsons believes, has placed more of a focus on accessibility than in the past with the BRT - bus rapid transit - among the transport systems to undergo improvements.

“Of course, it is not only the challenge of organising the Paralympic Games, but also taking advantage of the opportunity to deliver a better city after the Games,” Parsons said. “I think the city is really doing it and I think Rio de Janeiro will be a far more accessible city after the Games, than say in 2009 for example.

“The city has a target of replacing the current fleet of buses they have to new buses with a lift and low floors, while there are new initiatives which mean the BRT and the new metro stations, which are being rebuilt or refurbished, take accessibility into account. The challenge for someone with a disability to move around the city will not be the case from now on or after the Games.”

Transport and accessibility at Games venues have not been the only focuses, with a project unveiled last September by Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Paes to make major tourist attractions more accessible for www.facebook.com/insidethegames

visitors. The $1 million “Accessible Routes Project” was aimed at seeing accessible pavements built and resurfacing at entrances to 10 popular locations.

Among the sites included in the project were Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana beach and Corcovado, the mountain which boasts the world famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Sir Philip expects it to only be the start of a transformation in the city.

“It is the first time the Games have been in Latin America and it is not something that Rio and Brazil have been used to before,” he said. “Progress has been made, but I think what we are going to see like we did in Barcelona [in 1992], is that the massive improvement will come post the Games.

“When I went back to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Barcelona Games in 2002, the city was absolutely transformed and you could go anywhere. That is what we expect will happen in Rio, but it will take time.”

While doubts will no doubt remain over ticket sales and how engaged the Brazilian population are in the Paralympics in the build-up to the Opening Ceremony on September 7, it is hoped that by its close 11 days later that the country will have benefited immeasurably from the experience.

Parsons expects not only improvements in areas like transport, but also regarding the culture and education of the Brazilian people towards people with impairments. The CPB President is confident that Rio de Janeiro will help to set an example which can and will be followed by cities across the country.

“It will be a city which will be a very good example of how to improve the level of accessibility, through the opportunity of the Games,” he said.

“There will be a more global approach which targets not only transport and how people move around, but also including aspects of culture and education.

“This kind of thinking in how to integrate citizens with a disability is a good example and we hope that the example of Rio de Janeiro will be followed by other cities in Brazil.”

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2016 will truly mark Kosovo’s on arrival

the world stage

Kosovo’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016 will mark an important moment in the country’s history and they have a real chance of marking the occasion with a gold medal, as Nick Butler reports

W

hen athletes from all over the world march into the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on August 5, it wlll be a moment of huge personal significance for all involved.

For a small delegation from Kosovo marching under the Balkan Republic’s distinctive blue and gold flag, the Ceremony will mean even more.

It will mark an event of historic importance not just for the chosen group of athletes, but for an entire country.

The event is being billed as a true sign of their arrival on the world stage and a chance to foster a sense of national identity, pride and progress.

Kosovo, a tiny landlocked country in one of the most impoverished corners of south-east Europe, was only given permission to join the International Olympic Committee, and thus

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participate in the Games, in December 2014.

“It’s really amazing - everyone is speaking about and living for the moment where we first compete in the Olympics,” said Olympic Committee of Kosovo President Besim Hasani, whose voice crackles with emotion at the mere thought of the moment. “Interest is very high.

It is seen as a special moment for our nation.”

The struggle for recognition stretches back decades. Kosovo, despite having a strong Christian presence historically, was Muslimdominated by the 20th century. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, rather than join its ethnic cousins in independent Albania, it was absorbed into Yugoslavia, a hotchpotch of different ethnicities dominated by Serbia.

Kosovo remained the poorest and least developed region and, despite some gestures under Josip Tito’s rule from the 1970s, had little

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freedom or power.

Athletes still managed to make an impression, however, with Kosovan-born Milutin Šoškić, Fahrudin Jusufi and Vladimir Durković all starring in the Yugoslavian football team that won the Olympic gold medals at Rome 1960.

Twenty-four years later in Los Angeles, boxer Aziz Salihu became the first individual athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic medal, taking a super heavyweight bronze.

Any freedom began to decrease as Yugoslavia started to disintegrate in bloody fashion in the early 1990s. Resistance movements gradually emerged, with the Olympic Committee of Kosovo set up in 1992 as a symbol of the country’s growing call for independence.

Serbia responded with an increasingly bloody crackdown.

This culminated in what was labelled by

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NATO as a “humanitarian catastrophe” in 1999, when they started a 78-day bombing campaign of Yugoslavia amid reports of mass ethnic cleansing. NATO and the United Nations gradually restored order and, in 2008, independence was finally declared.

Most of the western world immediately granted recognition, but several others refused as membership of exclusive clubs, including the IOC as well as the UN, also proved elusive.

To understand exactly why different countries have acted differently over Kosovo requires an understanding of politics and diplomacy even more nuanced than in the complex world of sports administration.

Serbia have powerful allies, like Russia and China, while other nations, Spain for instance, are reluctant to grant recognition lest it set a precedent for regions of their own country

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campaigning for independence.

When I first visited Kosovo in the summer of 2014, 12 national sporting bodies were recognised by respective International Federations. Their cause had key supporters, like International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer and his International Boxing Association counterpart C K Wu, as well as the IOC’s director for NOC Relations, Pere Miró.

But five of the 15 IOC Executive Board members and countless other members came from countries yet to grant recognition. It appeared too much of a diplomatic nightmare for new President Thomas Bach to attempt to tackle at a time where he was already pulling in favours to steamroll through his Agenda 2020 reform process.

It was something of a surprise then when it was suddenly announced that provisional recognition had been granted by the Executive Board just a few months later in Montreux. It was a brave decision which could have backfired but was handled well by the German, who immediately became a Kosovan national hero.

At the Extraordinary IOC Session in Monte Carlo at which a final decision was made, the IOC membership were so lacking dissent that a proposal to change the name of the Olympics to the “Thomas Bach Games” would probably have been accepted unanimously. Kosovo was thus accepted into the Olympic fold, a decision which meant far more than just participation at Rio 2016.

It opened the country to much-needed

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Main: Olympic Committee of Kosovo President Besim Hasini has led his country’s campaign to be allowed to compete at Rio 2016. Photo: Getty Images Top Left and below: The Kosovo War lasted for more than a year and in 1999 led to the country declaring its independence.

Photo: Getty Images Bottom: Kosovo were granted membership of the IOC in December 2014, meaning they could compete at the 2015 European Games in Baku. Photo: Getty Images

funding from Olympic Solidarity. Almost immediately, 15 athletes received scholarships, while marketing programmes and technical courses for coaches were also held.

It also acted as a catalyst for other sporting bodies to act similarly. Eighteen months on, and Kosovo has participated at the European Games in Baku, winning a bronze medal courtesy of under 57 kilograms judoka Nora Gjakova.

They are already preparing for next year’s Mediterranean Games in Tarragona, letting neither politics nor the fact they lack a coastline get in the way.

Kosovo now has full or provisional membership of every International Federation to which they have applied. This includes United World Wrestling, despite being run by Serbian Nenad Lalovic, and both FIFA and UEFA, who granted them membership earlier this year.

Top Kosovan-born footballers like Xherdan Shaqiri and Adnan Januzaj, whose families each fled during the war years, have taken refuge and now play for other countries: Switzerland and Belgium respectively. In the future, Hasani hopes all Kosovans will play for the national team and ambitiously believes they can be among the top “seven or eight” teams in Europe.

Bach made a triumphant visit to Kosovo in April 2015 and has promised to present the first gold medal won by a Kosovan athlete should there be one at Rio 2016.

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YOU ARE PART OF THE CELEBRATION. RIO IS WAITING FOR YOU. SEE YOU ON 5 AUGUST.

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Olympic debut offers South Sudan hope

K World and European judo champion Majlinda Kelmendi (in white) is Kosovo’s biggest hope for an Olympic gold medal.

Photo: Getty Images

A team of at least eight athletes is expected to compete. It includes Gjakova, who also won a bronze medal at this year’s European Championships in Kazan. She is ranked 18th in the latest IJF world rankings.

The real star, however, is her team-mate Majlinda Kelmendi, who withdrew from Baku 2015 with a knee injury but has continued to dominate the under 52kg class. A world and European junior champion in 2009, the 25-yearold was forced to represent Albania at London 2012 but returned to Kosovan colours to claim a historic World Championship gold medal the following year in Rio de Janeiro.

She successfully defended her crown a year later in Chelyabinsk, albeit while competing under the IJF rather than the Kosovan flag due to Russian objections. She then returned in style from the injuries of last year to claim European Championship and Paris Grand Slam gold medals in 2016.

Known for an ominous combination of “precision, power and speed of execution”, Kelmendi is the clear favourite for a gold medal at Rio 2016. She has also already been confirmed as Kosovan flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony. In a sport as unpredictable as judo, you can take nothing for granted, but there does appear good odds of Bach having to fulfil his promise to hand out medals.

A third judoka, reigning world junior champion Distria Krasniqi, is also hoping to be awarded an invitational place. A winner at last year’s Samsun Grand Prix, Krasniqi fights in the same under 52kg division as Kelmendi.

She would therefore have to lose weight and compete in the under 48kg division if she is to participate.

Shooter Urata Rama has also been handed a www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Tripartite Commission place for the 10 metres air rifle competition. Kosovo, like all other countries, will also be permitted one male and one female athlete across athletics and swimming events.

At the time of writing, selections have not been made; but the likely choices are athletes Vijona Kryeziu in the women’s 400m and Musa Hajdari in the men’s 800m and swimmers Lum Zhaveli in the men’s 50m freestyle and Rita Zeqiri in the women’s 50m backstroke.

Problems remain in the build-up to Rio 2016, however. Hasani was unable to travel to a European Olympic Committees meeting in Tarragona in May because the Spanish Government refused to grant him a visa.

Brazil is another country yet to recognise Kosovo, and the Olympics has directly led to Kosovan visas being granted by the host nation for the first time. Indeed, Hasani, KOC President since 1996 and an individual who has dedicated much of his life to the Olympic cause, claims to have received the very first Kosovan visa stamp from Brazil.

With the number of nations to officially recognise Kosovo having been stuck on 111 for over a year now, it is hoped that the exposure of participation at Rio 2016 will encourage more to follow suit.

“I think sport will help the country in a wider political sense,” claims Hasani. “Half of the population of the world will see the Games and see Kosovo. I hope it will help and other countries will see our flag and think, ‘Why haven’t we recognised Kosovo?’”

In a year where the bad side of sport has only been too apparent, Kosovan success will cast a powerful reminder that it can also bring about progress and development. @insidethegames

osovo will not be the only team making their Olympic debut at Rio 2016. South Sudan, the world’s newest nation which only split from its northern neighbour, Sudan, in 2011, became the 206th National Olympic Committee member at the 2015 IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur.

“Over the past few months, my country has undergone armed conflict, and we firmly believe this is going to be a milestone and a great vehicle for promoting peace-building,” said South Sudan National Olympic Committee President Wilson Deng Kuoirot.

“It will also give great hope and inspiration to the youth of our country. Instead of being armed with guns, they will be armed with facilities.”

National Federations in athletics, basketball, football, handball, judo, table tennis and taekwondo have been set up after help from authorities in Sudan, as well as the IOC. There are no South Sudanese athletes who have qualified for the Olympics automatically but at least one male and one female should compete in athletics events.

Teenage middle-distance runners Kenyi Santino and Aguar Mawien have been training with the aim of selection. Another option is marathon runner Guor Marial. He finished 47th at London 2012 after competing as an independent athlete under the IOC flag.

Five South Sudanese-born athletes have also been named as part of the Refugees Olympic Team after fleeing a brutal Civil War which has left thousands dead before an uneasy truce last year.

All five - three male and two female - are now based at the Kakuma refugee camp in north-west Kenya, and will compete in athletics.

South Sudan, a landlocked country made-up of 64 ethnic groups, has produced great sportsmen in the past, including NBA players Manute Bol, who at nearly 7ft 7in was one of the two tallest players ever in the history of league, and Luol Deng, who represented Britain at London 2012 and was named by United States President Barack Obama as his favourite player.

Nick Butler

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Montreal 1976 was better than history suggests – it gave us Thomas Bach after all The 1976 Olympics in Montreal have become notorious for mostly the wrong reasons – a financial disaster for the city and bedevilled by a boycott where the host country failed to win a single gold medal. Alan Hubbard, however, rather enjoyed the Games

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andwiched between Munich and Moscow, Montreal 1976 was certainly going to be memorable one way or another.

Would M stand for mayhem, misery or, perish the thought, another massacre?

After what happened four years earlier on that Black September day there was, understandably, great foreboding. Security was irritatingly oppressive, unprecedented in

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the entire history of the Games.

And because of controversy over the escalating cost, which led to the ambitious Olympic Stadium roof being left embarrassingly unfinished, there was both fear and anger in the air of the predominantly French-speaking host city.

They called the futuristic stadium The Big O, but in the 30 years it took to pay off the Games’ $3.5 billion debt, it became known as

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The Big Owe. Some of my colleagues maintain that the 1976 Olympics were among the least illustrious they have known but personally I found Montreal quite pleasant, and among the most enjoyable of the dozen Olympics I have covered since Tokyo in 1964, both in the sporting and social sense.

Yet some said their encounters with the natives were far from friendly, indeed,

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ALAN HUBBARD COLUMNIST, INSIDETHEGAMES

Nadia Comăneci dazzled Montreal 1976 by being awarded a perfect 10 in gymnastics. Photo: Getty Images

sometimes positively hostile.

To a certain degree that might have been true as there was clearly an element who did not want the Games because of the debilitating effect on Montreal’s economy the city was left almost bankrupt. But there was more to it than that.

Montreal is essentially French, like the rest of the province of Quebec, and there was some resentment that this was not generally recognised by those invading their territory.

Some Quebecois certainly had chips on their shoulders - or should we say French fries!

Fortunately I discovered the secret of unlocking any hostility and enjoying some splendid hospitality.

A French friend told me that whenever you met a French-Canadian, or went into a store, bar or brasserie, you should immediately proffer a hand and say: “Bonjour, ca va, comment allez vous?” Or some similar Gallic phrase of greeting.

They immediately knew from your accent that you were from overseas but that you had acknowledged you were in what they considered part of France.

Invariably they would respond in English www.facebook.com/insidethegames

- and you were up and away. Eh bien?

I grew to like the French-Canadians. Rather like the Aussies, they had no “side” to them.

They treated everyone the same.

One evening we were waiting in a packed world-renowned Montreal steakhouse called Moishes when the late Princess Grace of Monaco swept in with a party of eight and requested a table. She was made to wait in line like the rest of us.

Despite the serious financial woes, the Games themselves were efficiently organised and went off rather well despite an initial political upheaval when, for the first time ever, the B-word came into play: a boycott by some nations which threatened the future structure of the Olympic Movement.

In total, 6,084 athletes (1,260 women and 4,824 men) from 92 nations took part in the Games. However, these did not include competitors from 22 African countries that officially withdrew over the sporting links between New Zealand and South Africa.

The central issue was the refusal of the International Olympic Committee to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team - the All Blacks - was touring South Africa which, because of its apartheid policies, was barred from the Olympics from 1964 to 1992.

According to Kenyan Foreign Minister, James Osogo, the IOC decision not to ban New Zealand gave “comfort and respectability to the South African racist

regime and encouraged it to continue to defy world opinion”.

This meant the loss of over 440 competitors, including world-class runners like Filbert Bayi from Tanzania, the 1500 metres world record holder, and Uganda’s John Akii-Bua, who held the world record in the 400m hurdles.

Moreover, Montreal lost a million dollars in seat refunds and event cancellations in the first two days of the Games.

Even so, the Games were a success - despite Canada itself failing to win a gold medal, the first host nation not to do so in the Summer Olympics.

Great Britain fared little better, with only three gold medals - in Tornado-class sailing, swimming thanks to David Wilkie’s 200m breaststroke and the modern pentathlon - and just 13 medals overall. The best athletics could muster was five bronze, making Montreal one of Britain’s least auspicious Olympics.

The participation of Princess Anne, who stayed in the Olympic Village and rode the Queen’s horse Goodwill in the eventing competition, attracted massive media attention - not least when HRH took a tumble in the cross-country event.

Among the many international highlights however was the captivating performance of Nadia Comăneci, the 14-year-old Romanian gymnast, who made history by achieving seven perfect 10s.

IOC President Thomas Bach won an Olympic gold medal in fencing at Montreal 1976. Photo: Olympic Museum

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British team to gold. Most people thought the modern pentathlon was a formation dance, but in many ways it represented what the Games were all about in terms of skill, athleticism, endeavour and durability.

It is so sad that Jim, such a dashing, handsome figure in those days, is now, like Muhammad Ali, stricken with Parkinson’s disease.

The event also witnessed one of the Olympics’ greatest scandals when Fox’s Soviet rival Boris Onischenko was disqualified, together with his team, after it was discovered that he had rigged his épée to electronically register a hit when there wasn’t one.

Inevitably, Onischenko then became known as “Disonischenko”.

Like Fox, one of the great macho men of Montreal was American Bruce Jenner, supreme in the toughest discipline of all, the decathlon.

These days Jenner, a thrice-married father of six, is known at Caitlyn Jenner and would be eligible to compete as a transgender athlete if so inclined. The mind boggles.

Montreal also saw a 23-year-old law student from Wurzburg, one Thomas Bach, win a gold medal for West Germany in the men’s team foil fencing event. Whatever happened to him, I wonder.

Funny old sporting world, eh mes amis?

Bruce Jenner won the decathlon but has since undergone a sex-change and is known as Caitlyn Jenner. Photo: Getty Images

Another crowd favourite was the mighty Russian weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev, who lifted more than 255 kilograms in one competition, the clean and jerk. In his two competitions combined, he lifted 440kg nearly half a ton.

We also applauded America’s greatest-ever Olympic boxing squad which won five gold medals - Leon and Michael Spinks, Howard Davis Jnr, Leo Randolph and of course the fabulous Sugar Ray Leonard.

I especially remember New Zealander John Walker’s great win in the 1500m and, of course, Alberto Juantorena of Cuba becoming the first man to win both the 400 and 800m, an achievement which still stands.

Equally memorable was the commentating gaffe by Ron Pickering who BBC viewers heard say: “Alberto Juantorena opened his legs and showed his class” - which has always been wrongly attributed to one of David’s Colemanballs.

However, the gaffe of the Games - which actually came before them - was that of host city Mayor Jean Drapeau who had famously declared: “The Olympic Games can no more have a deficit than a man can have a baby.”

The event I enjoyed covering most was the then five-day, five-discipline modern pentathlon when army sergeant Jim Fox, who was later to become a great friend, led the www.facebook.com/insidethegames

Soviet Boris Onischenko was disqualified in the modern pentathlon after he illegally modified his weapon in the épée fencing round.

Photo: Getty Images

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MIKE ROWBOTTOM CHIEF FEATURE WRITER, INSIDETHEGAMES

Don’t worry, be ready!

Fail to prepare – prepare to fail. Mike Rowbottom thinks all Olympic host cities should write these words in large letters on a board and look at it every day

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orries about the Olympic Games - we’ve all had them from time to time. They tend to come in four-year cycles. And they are nothing to be ashamed about.

What you have to remember if you are a prospective Olympic host is that the feelings of anxiety and, perhaps, rising panic that you experience are not new. Others have felt exactly the same kind of thing before, and will do in future.

Of course you will be concerned to make sure everything is ready for your guests from all over the world, that all the things they need are in place, that you haven’t forgotten to finish anything important, like a stadium or a velodrome or something.

And it’s only right that you should. Because to be blunt, if you don’t, you will be remembered throughout Olympic history as the city that screwed up.

But let’s not dwell on the negatives. Let’s look to the positives.

So what do you need to do to make sure that the sporting world’s censure and obloquy do not become your eternal house-mates?

It’s pretty simple really. Get a calendar and mark the start of the Games. Then work backwards, by, say, six months to a year, and set deadlines for all your key installations.

A few years ago, on the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea, a wise man called Roy Keane made the following observation: “Fail to prepare prepare to fail.”

Keane wasn’t just wise, of course. He was so angry about what he felt were the inadequate training facilities in Saipan - “like a car park” available to him and his Ireland team-mates during the countdown to the big kick-off that he made the following observation to his manager Mick McCarthy in front of the

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Ireland coach Mick McCarthy takes down a few notes from Roy Keane about preparing for major events.

Photo: Getty Images

whole squad: “Mick, you’re a liar... you’re a f*****g w****r. I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person. You’re a f*****g w****r and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country!

You can stick it up your b******s.”

Keane then packed his bags and flew home, where he spent a couple of days walking his dogs around TV camera crews.

But we digress. What Keane expressed then resonates to this day - the bit about preparation, not the other bit - and remains deeply relevant to anyone who has taken on the task of staging an Olympic Games.

Now that doesn’t mean that you need to get all Beijing about it. As you may recall, the International Olympic Committee actually had to tap the hosts of the 2008 Games on their collective shoulder and tell them they could slow down a bit on the preparations if they wanted.

Beijing had set about clearing and rebuilding with almost embarrassing haste. So here is another thing for prospective Olympic hosts to remember - nobody likes a smart-arse.

Perhaps the Chinese were reacting to the near disaster of the Athens Olympics four years earlier, when, amid increasing levels of alarm, the hosts scrambled to have the necessary infrastructure in place before the world descended on their doorstop.

Despite six months of lurid news stories from reporters on the ground, a frantic burst of activity ensured the Games proceeded according to plan, although some of the facilities were not as per programme.

The approaches to the main Olympic Stadium, for instance, were a sparse

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monument to unrealised good intentions. And they never did get round to finishing that installation on top of the Acropolis.

Did it matter? Not really.

The main stadium may have lacked floral flourishes, but that did not stop Britain’s Kelly Holmes earning two career-crowning golds in the 800 and 1500 metres.

The Aquatics Centre may have lacked its planned roof, but that did not stop Michael Phelps of the United States starting off what would turn out to be a record gold medal collection.

Which brings us to Rio 2016. Athens was seen to be struggling with its infrastructure by late March of 2004. Not good. But as we saw, surmountable. As I write, May is turning to June. And what May is saying is this: “They still haven’t finished the tennis facility in Rio. And they still haven’t finished the velodrome either.”

Meanwhile the rising levels of concern from relevant International Federations have been coming through in their familiar coded fashion.

On May 30, the newly-installed President of the International Tennis Federation, David Haggerty, said there was “an awful lot more work to be done” for the Rio 2016 facilities to be ready in time. Translation: “Fault. First service. Get your finger out!”

Only a few days earlier, the President of the International Cycling Union, Brian Cookson, had said the governing body was “extremely concerned” about the pace of preparations for the Rio velodrome. Translation: “We are out of our minds with worry. For God’s sake sort it!”

Olympic history suggests that all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

But if Rio fails to produce a final surge as electric as one of Pelé’s sorties into the penalty area, well…

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