Countdown To The Olympics

Cariocas (the people of Rio) will benefit from a new telecommunications feature from May onwards as a Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) service will be implemented in the Copacabana Beach and Baixada Fluminense areas as a result of a Digital Seashore Project initiative. Free Internet access will be provided on a sign-up basis to users who have a laptop computer or any other Wi-Fi compatible apparatus. According to Rio de Janeiro Secretary for Science and Technology Alexandre Cardoso, a statewide Wi-Fi network should be put in place in the next two years.

For the Secretary, the travel and retail trade industries will benefit from the novelty. “The Wi-Fi technology will enable tourists in Copacabana to take cell phone pictures on the beach and send them directly to someone back in their home countries. In the Baixada Fluminense area, retail trade will definitely move into the Internet era, boosting on-line sales”, said Alexandre.

Plans include expanding the network around the Guanabara Bay area and reaching the rest of the State in two years, at a total cost of R$ 40 million. Funds will be provided by a Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (Faperj) and Ministry of Science and Technology partnership.

The idea is based both on New York City’s experience of reduced violence rates – 30 percent – following the implementation of a Wi-Fi network, and the project that has earned Piraí, Rio de Janeiro, international awards for providing citywide Wi-Fi connection.

Alexandre Cardoso also said, at least during 2008, the system should be maintained by the Government at a cost of R$ 50 thousand. A future private sector partnership, however, could be considered.

Rio 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO – Um dos países aspirantes a receber os Jogos Olímpicos de 2016, o Brasil está entre as cinco nações preferidas por empresas multinacionais para realização de investimentos no triênio 2007-2009, de acordo com pesquisa da Agência das Nações Unidas para o Comércio e o Desenvolvimento (Unctad).

O tamanho do mercado interno e a expansão econômica brasileira são citados pelos empresários como as principais razões para investimento no Brasil. A China lidera a lista, seguida pela Índia. Os dois países são os mais populosos do mundo.

A possibilidade do Brasil ser a sede da Copa do Mundo de 2014 e dos Jogos Olímpicos de 2016 aumenta a perspectiva de investimentos estrangeiros no país, que poderiam ser aplicados na construção e reforma de instalações esportivas, aumento da capacidade hoteleira, obras de infra-estrutura, entre outros.

Rio 2016

The Road Arch, a project intended to improve traffic in the greater Rio de Janeiro, is about to become real. The President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva approved last Monday, 12th, the budget of R$ 100 million to Rio de Janeiro State Government to start the construction works. The project is included in the proposal of Rio de Janeiro to be the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The project will smoothen the traffic on access roads taking to the greater Rio de Janeiro, removing most heavy vehicles from Avenida Brasil, Ponte Rio-Niterói and metropolitan sections of Rio-São Paulo (BR-116) and Rio-Petrópolis (BR-040) highways, improving, thus, the road traffic in the city. In the event that the Olympic Games in 2016 are to be held in the city, access to sport venues will be easier for athletes, delegates, tourists and people living in the city.

The initial budget granted by the Federal Government will be used by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, responsible for the execution of the project, for bidding procedures and start of construction works, which will start in January 2008, according to the Vice-Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz Fernando Pezão. The constructions are planned to be completed within months, with total investments of R$ 802 million.

During the grant funding ceremony in Brasília, Lula and the Governor of Rio de Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral, showed their enthusiasm with the works, highlighting its relevance for the State of Rio de Janeiro. The President stated “the project will change Rio de Janeiro’s look”. According to Cabral, the Road Arch will allow economic and social gains to the State.

“The Metropolitan Arch will be extremely important for the development of greater Rio de Janeiro’s economy. Rio de Janeiro is developing a lot. It will represent a great change in the quality of life of the people who live in Greater Rio de Janeiro and in downtown. It will generate new flows for the distribution of products, additional alternatives for investments and generate jobs”, he said.

Rio de Janeiro State Sports Secretary, Eduardo Paes, emphasized the benefits of the project for the sport.

“This was a solid action of government levels which, besides generating a permanent legacy for the city, will fulfill the commitment of Rio de Janeiro to be the host city of 2016 Olympic Games”.

The Arch will be a 70,9 km, double-lane highway, which will cross the cities of Itaboraí, Guapimirim, Magé, Duque de Caxias, Nova Iguaçu, Japeri, Seropédica and Itaguaí. The work will enable large investments in the state; such as the Petrochemical Center of Itaboraí and Companhia Siderúrgica do Atlântico, in Itaguaí. Besides benefiting other job-generation centers, such as the Gas-Chemical Plant of Duque de Caxias and Reduc (Duque de Caxias Refinery).

Rio 2016

The president of Rio 2016 Committee and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC), Carlos Arthur Nuzman, cheered the choice of Brazil as the host for the Soccer World Cup in 2014, announced this Tuesday, the 30th, in Zurich (Switzerland). In Nuzman’s opinion, FIFA decision reinforces the Brazilian desire to host the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. “The World Cup in Brazil reinforces the Brazilian bidding to the Site of the Olympic Games 2016 in all aspects. The investments to be done in both events are complementary and will provide Brazil with an opportunity of repeating successful experiences of countries which organized the two events in a sequence, such as Mexico (1968/1970), Germany (1972/1974) and the United States (1994/1996)”, said BOC’s President.

For Nuzman, when choosing Brazil to host the Cup 2014, FIFA expresses a clear demonstration of trust in the country’s capacity to successfully organize great sports events. “The formalization of Brazil as the site for the World Cup 2014 shows the importance of the country in the world’s sports scenario and highlights the trust FIFA deposits in Brazil’s organization and accomplishment power. I am very happy with the announcement made in Zurich. An event like this will only bring benefits and legacies to the host country and to the cities hosting the games. Brazil has been showing its capacity to organize great international sports events and certainly the World Cup 2014 will be a landmark in the history of the world soccer”, he said.

Rio 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO – A delegation consisting of members of the Commission in charge of preparing the candidature of Rio de Janeiro to host the Olympic Games of 2016 participates up to Friday, 19, in Lausanne (Switzerland), in a seminar of organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the process of pre-candidature of the cities wishing to host the competition (Rio, Baku, Chicago, Doha, Madrid, Prague and Tokyo).

The event, held in the Olympic Museum, is the first to gather representatives of the seven cities intending to host the Olympic Games and IOC members. The seminar aims at clarifying to the cities all aspects involving the organization of the Games, making easy the submission of answers to the candidature application form, which must be delivered to the IOC up to January 14, 2008, together with the guarantee letters.

The IOC will announce the cities that will be official candidates to receive the Games in the beginning of June 2008, in Athens (Greece). The elected cities must prepare the full dossier of candidature, also delivering a full notebook containing the guarantees up to 2009. The election of the host city of the 2016 Games is scheduled to October 2, 2009, in Copenhagen (Denmark).

The seminar in Lausanne started on Monday, 15, when the delegation of Rio 2016, presided over by the President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the Commission in charge of the pre-candidature of Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, participated in four sessions that discussed issues related to the Olympic Games, such as transport system, Olympic village, the importance of partners, sports and athletes.

In addition to Nuzman, the Brazilian delegation is formed by Carlos Roberto Osório, Secretary General of the Commission; Agberto Guimarães, Sports Director; Mario Cilenti, Technical Director; Leonardo Gryner, Marketing Director; Sergio Lobo, Financial and Administrative Director; and Ana Luiza Pinheiro, Legal Advisor.

In order to show the support from the three government levels to Rio de Janeiro’s intent to host the 2016 Games, the following persons will also participate in the seminar held in Lausanne: Ricardo Leiser Gonçalves, representative of the Federal Government, Fernando Sihman (Rio de Janeiro Government) and Claudio Versiani (Rio de Janeiro City Hall).

Rio 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO – The athletes and coaches that participated in II Synchronized Swimming World Trophy Rio 2007, which took place on October 12 to 14, praised Maria Lenk Aquatic Park venues and the enthusiasm of Rio de Janeiro’s audience.

Russia, as the main contender in this discipline, won the World Trophy for the second time, winning duets and free combination events. The Russian team totalized 296.333 points. Spain, which won team event, was in the second place in general classification (295 points). The bronze medal went to the United States (291.334 points).

“We are delighted with everything. The swimming pool is ‘precious’. The audience is breathtaking and led us to the victory. We enjoyed the human warmth felt here”, said the Spanish athlete Gemma Mengual, who won the gold medal in the duet event together with Andrea Fuentes.

The American athlete, Christina Jones, third place in the duet event together with Andrea Nott, said that audience’s support encouraged the athletes to do their best.

- We liked the way this competition was designed, only with free events. We were able to dare and swim with our hearts. The audience was amazing both during the Pan American Games and today. The audience’s participation is catchy. In the Pan American Games, we were concerned about qualifying for the Olympic Games and trained non-stop, there was no time to see things. Now, we could even take a tour of the city and we have already visited the Corcovado – said Christina.

Ana Tarrés, the Spanish coach, was satisfied with Spanish athletes’s performance in the World Trophy and also thinks that the competition was a milestone to the discipline.

- We have never won Russia. It’s been a while since a team beat Russia in an Olympic event. Rio de Janeiro made history not only to the Spanish synchronized swimming team, but also to the world championship.

Tatiana Pokroviskaya, Russian team coach, also praised the competition and highlighted the relationship between the Brazilian and the Russian synchronized swimming teams. The European team had already trained with the Brazilian team here in the country.

“This is the fifth time we perform in Brazil and this makes us a bit Brazilian as well. We have a friendly relationship and I think the audience knows that”, said Tatiana.



RESULTS

FREE DUET – 12/Oct/2007

1) Russia – 98.334 / 2) Spain – 98.000 / 3) USA – 96.666 / 4) Japan – 95.000 / 5) Italy – 93.000 / 6) Brazil – 91.000 / 7) Mexico – 88.000 / Egypt – 85.000

TEAMS – 12/Oct/2007

1) Spain – 99.667 / 2) Russia – 99.000 / 3) USA – 96.000 / 4) Japan – 95.333 / 5) Italy – 93.667 / 6) Brazil – 91.667 / 7) Mexico – 87.667 / Egypt – 83.000

FREE COMBINATION (COMBO)- 14/Oct/2007

1) Russia – 99.000 / 2) USA – 98.667 / 3) Spain – 97.333 / 4) Italy – 94.333 / 5) Brazil and Japan, both with 92.333 / 7) Mexico – 88.333 / Egypt – 83.667

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING WORLD TROPHY FINAL RESULTS

1) Russia – 296,333 / 2) Spain – 295,000 / 3) USA – 291,334 / 4) Japan – 282,666 / 5) Italy – 281,000 / 6) Brazil – 275,000 / 7) Mexico – 264,000 / Egypt – 251,667

Rio 2016

Brazil, which is internationally recognized by its natural beauties, won two awards related to the tourism sector. Cataratas do Iguaçu, one of the most famous Brazilian tourism attraction located in Foz do Iguaçu City, Paraná State, won Swiss Tourism Award in Water Cities category.

The other awarded city was Joinville. The city was recognized by its well-preserved historical patrimony.

Paulo Angeli, the president of the Tourism Council of Foz do Iguaçu City (Comtur), participated in the ceremony and considers that the selection of the city encourages local tourism growth.

“Foz do Iguaçu gathers all required conditions for providing high quality tourism services”, said Angeli.

Rio 2016

With a broad network of bicycle lanes – specially in the city of Rio -, the State of Rio de Janeiro will become part of a project to increase the use of bicycles as a means of transportation. Four cities in the State – Niterói, Duque de Caxias, Resende and Nova Iguaçu – will take part in the program created by the State Government for use of public bicycles.

With the system, users may get bicycles in stations by using cards, with a price established according to the time of use. The objective is to have an integration with the mass means of transportation, such as trains and buses.

The project is part of the plan “Rio – state of the bicycles”, which will have an amount of US$ 500 thousand from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Among other benefits, the use of bicycles as a means of transportation contributes for the reduction of the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere and the traffic jams on the streets.

The State Transportation Secretary, Júlio Lopes, believes that after the first phase, other city halls in the State will be interested in the project.

Rio 2016

First athletes arrive for training February 5

Note to editors: B-roll and photo images of Cypress Mountain shot earlier this week are available by contacting VANOC Communications

Vancouver, BC ― In response to ongoing unseasonably warm weather, an aggressive and intensive effort by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to implement its contingency plan to ready Cypress Mountain to host competitions at the Games is paying dividends.

Snow moving from higher elevations onto snowboard and freestyle courses will be substantially completed by Friday, January 29. The shaping and grooming of all courses has begun in earnest and snow will continue to be moved to build up existing stockpiles. This strategy is supported by numerous protection measures, such as using tarps and extra snow to build up courses to account for snow melt.

“The plan to stage the freestyle and snowboard events on Cypress Mountain is continuing full steam ahead,” said Tim Gayda, VANOC’s vice president of sport. “We’ve made great progress in preparing the venue thanks to our team that’s been working night and day to deliver on the contingency plan we had ready. We look forward to hosting some of the world’s greatest athletes on Cypress Mountain in just over two weeks.”

The venue team has implemented a variety of operational changes to ensure the integrity of all key considerations: the field of play for competition, as well as the television broadcast and live spectator experience.

“Changes to the design of the competition courses necessitate adaptations in other critical areas, including broadcast positions, seating access, technology, sport production, and overlay plans to name just a few. Every team ―  including those who are dedicated to other mountain venues ―   is pulling together to make the changes and provide the support that will ensure Cypress Mountain works well in every aspect during the Games,” said Dick Vollet, VANOC’s vice president of mountain venues.

In mid-January, VANOC and Cypress Mountain management agreed to close the West Vancouver ski resort’s alpine runs to the public in order to undertake the significant preparation required to ready the mountain for Olympic competition, especially in light of the unseasonably warm and wet weather.

Since then, a dedicated team of 45 people working 24/7 have used eight snowcats out of a fleet of 24 and two large dump trucks to move more than 300 truckloads of snow from the top of Mount Strachan ― where more than three metres of snow remains untouched in the Skychair area ― to the field of play on neighbouring Black Mountain. In the case of the of mogul and aerials venue, the steepness of the course requires the snow to be winched up Black Mountain by snowcats.

So far, 1,065 bales of straw, which will eventually be covered with a layer of snow, have been used to replace the base of packed snow originally anticipated. Of these bales, approximately 800 were airlifted into place by helicopter to shape and construct snowboard cross and ski cross course features, which will also be covered with a layer of snow.

On Tuesday, officials with the International Ski Federation (FIS), which is responsible for certifying the venue ready for athletes, expressed their approval of snow harvesting and course preparations after an extensive tour of the venue.

“FIS is confident that with the current amount of snow on the mountain, and the snow saving measures that have been taken, VANOC will be able to create a world-class venue for our snowboard events during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Marcel Looze, the federation’s snowboard race director.

Joe Fitzgerald, FIS’s freestyle ski coordinator, added: “I was pleased to see the heroic efforts of the Organizing Committee to prepare the snow on the freestyle courses. They have made every effort beyond expectations to create the best conditions.”

About Snow Making at Cypress Mountain

Cypress Mountain has a snowmaking reservoir of more than 22.7 million litres of water (five million gallons) and the terrain has been shaped to accommodate the construction of freestyle skiing and snowboard event courses with the minimum amount of snow needed.

State-of-the-art snow making using 35 snow guns has been operating around-the-clock since November 2009 and has converted over 95.3 million litres of water (21 million gallons) to snow needed to construct the courses. This snow has been stockpiled all over the mountain to ensure the terrain at Games time can sustain all weather conditions. It has been pushed down the mountain by snow grooming machinery to be shaped by machine and by hand to create the freestyle and snowboard courses, including the 160-metre-long superpipe, which is 19.5 m to 20 m wide and 6.5 m high.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver 2010

First athletes arrive for training February 5

Note to editors: B-roll and photo images of Cypress Mountain shot earlier this week are available by contacting VANOC Communications

Vancouver, BC ― In response to ongoing unseasonably warm weather, an aggressive and intensive effort by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) to implement its contingency plan to ready Cypress Mountain to host competitions at the Games is paying dividends.

Snow moving from higher elevations onto snowboard and freestyle courses will be substantially completed by Friday, January 29. The shaping and grooming of all courses has begun in earnest and snow will continue to be moved to build up existing stockpiles. This strategy is supported by numerous protection measures, such as using tarps and extra snow to build up courses to account for snow melt.

“The plan to stage the freestyle and snowboard events on Cypress Mountain is continuing full steam ahead,” said Tim Gayda, VANOC’s vice president of sport. “We’ve made great progress in preparing the venue thanks to our team that’s been working night and day to deliver on the contingency plan we had ready. We look forward to hosting some of the world’s greatest athletes on Cypress Mountain in just over two weeks.”

The venue team has implemented a variety of operational changes to ensure the integrity of all key considerations: the field of play for competition, as well as the television broadcast and live spectator experience.

“Changes to the design of the competition courses necessitate adaptations in other critical areas, including broadcast positions, seating access, technology, sport production, and overlay plans to name just a few. Every team ―  including those who are dedicated to other mountain venues ―   is pulling together to make the changes and provide the support that will ensure Cypress Mountain works well in every aspect during the Games,” said Dick Vollet, VANOC’s vice president of mountain venues.

In mid-January, VANOC and Cypress Mountain management agreed to close the West Vancouver ski resort’s alpine runs to the public in order to undertake the significant preparation required to ready the mountain for Olympic competition, especially in light of the unseasonably warm and wet weather.

Since then, a dedicated team of 45 people working 24/7 have used eight snowcats out of a fleet of 24 and two large dump trucks to move more than 300 truckloads of snow from the top of Mount Strachan ― where more than three metres of snow remains untouched in the Skychair area ― to the field of play on neighbouring Black Mountain. In the case of the of mogul and aerials venue, the steepness of the course requires the snow to be winched up Black Mountain by snowcats.

So far, 1,065 bales of straw, which will eventually be covered with a layer of snow, have been used to replace the base of packed snow originally anticipated. Of these bales, approximately 800 were airlifted into place by helicopter to shape and construct snowboard cross and ski cross course features, which will also be covered with a layer of snow.

On Tuesday, officials with the International Ski Federation (FIS), which is responsible for certifying the venue ready for athletes, expressed their approval of snow harvesting and course preparations after an extensive tour of the venue.

“FIS is confident that with the current amount of snow on the mountain, and the snow saving measures that have been taken, VANOC will be able to create a world-class venue for our snowboard events during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said Marcel Looze, the federation’s snowboard race director.

Joe Fitzgerald, FIS’s freestyle ski coordinator, added: “I was pleased to see the heroic efforts of the Organizing Committee to prepare the snow on the freestyle courses. They have made every effort beyond expectations to create the best conditions.”

About Snow Making at Cypress Mountain

Cypress Mountain has a snowmaking reservoir of more than 22.7 million litres of water (five million gallons) and the terrain has been shaped to accommodate the construction of freestyle skiing and snowboard event courses with the minimum amount of snow needed.

State-of-the-art snow making using 35 snow guns has been operating around-the-clock since November 2009 and has converted over 95.3 million litres of water (21 million gallons) to snow needed to construct the courses. This snow has been stockpiled all over the mountain to ensure the terrain at Games time can sustain all weather conditions. It has been pushed down the mountain by snow grooming machinery to be shaped by machine and by hand to create the freestyle and snowboard courses, including the 160-metre-long superpipe, which is 19.5 m to 20 m wide and 6.5 m high.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver 2010