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Q. What will be the legacy of the Games?A. The Games will provide lasting legacies – for both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. Many of the sporting venues built for the Games will remain in use, with the Olympic Park’s sports halls – the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, the Rio Olympic Velodrome and the Olympic Tennis Centre – forming Brazil’s first Olympic Training Centre. This training centre will allow athletes of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil to practise sport in world-class venues long after the Games. Rio will modernise its airport, and the transport system is already taking a significant leap forward, with the extension of the metro system, the creation of four Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines and a light rail transit service in the city centre. By 2016, 63 per cent of the population will have access to high-capacity public transport, up from 19 per cent in 2009. There are also projects focusing on infrastructure, the environment and social improvement, including the construction not only of sports facilities, but also educational facilities. For individuals, the Games have opened up numerous opportunities – people can create their own legacies through new skills and jobs, learning new languages, playing different sports and reaping the benefits of their city’s new infrastructure. Staging a successful Games will inspire all Brazilians to walk tall knowing that their country can deliver the biggest and best events under the eyes of the watching world. ■BelowThere were huge celebrations in 2009 on Copacabana beach when Rio was announced as the host city of the 2016 GamesQ. What are your expectations for the 2016 Games?A. These will be the first ever Games in South America, and we expect an event that fully embodies Brazil’s local culture – its love of sport, carnivals and festivals. I am certain that the cariocas will create a celebratory atmosphere – at the venues and across the whole city – and that Rio 2016 will be another landmark event in the history of the Games.Q. What is the IOC’s main focus of activities one year out from the Games?A. As progress is made in the build-up to the Games, we are moving from the big picture to small but very important details. The IOC Coordination Commission will be present during the test events and preparation exercises to make sure that no stone is left unturned. We will continue to assist Rio 2016 every step of the way.Q. What role have the Olympic stakeholders played in the process?A. All our stakeholders – NOCs, International Federations and The Olympic Partners (TOPs) – have once again shown their commitment to delivering a successful event. They have fully engaged with the organisation of the Games and brought a vast amount of experience and expertise to the task at hand. A project of this nature requires the commitment of not just the city of Rio de Janeiro but the whole country, and the organisers have benefited from the support of all three levels of government. Q. Olympic Agenda 2020 has pledged to increase support for athletes. What is Rio 2016 doing to put athletes at the heart of the Games?A. Working together with the Organising Committee, we will ensure the athletes are given all the attention they need – from training camps in Brazil where they can acclimatise before the Games to the provision of top-quality fields of play. The health, safety and security of all athletes remain central to all planning and operations. To ensure that the athletes have the best possible experience, the Organising Committee has formed a Sports Advisory Committee of former athletes and coaches who have been heavily involved in the preparations for the Games. The majority of athletes will be together in one Olympic Village, close to the competition venues and Olympic Park. We will offer the perfect carioca lifestyle to the athletes who will be able to enjoy a dedicated athletes’ park as well as a beach close to the Olympic Village. Q. What is Rio 2016 doing to engage with communities and fans?A. One of Rio 2016’s key goals has been to deliver long-term benefits to the widest sectors of its community through the planning, staging and legacy of the Games. Rio 2016 will create job and training opportunities for almost 100,000 people. There is also a new educational programme – “Transforma” – which began last year and is launching activities for more than 700,000 pupils in Rio de Janeiro’s junior and middle schools, while the Community Sports Festivals are taking new sports to the city’s most impoverished communities. On a wider scale, the Olympic torch relay next year will be run in 300 Brazilian towns and cities and pass through a further 200. It will be a fantastic opportunity for people to see the Olympic flame. ■Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Rio 2016 and IOC Vice-PresidentNAWAL EL MOUTAWAKELOn yea goOLYMPIC REVIEW 41