IOC Evaluation Commission Completes Bid Visit To Rio De Janeiro

The IOC Evaluation Commission this weekend visited Rio De Janeiro, and Brazil "made an original and emotional appeal" for Rio to be the first city in South America to host the Olympics, according to Alexei Barrionuevo of the N.Y. TIMES. Questions about "crime and transportation had been considered the main concerns with Rio's" $14.4B bid to host the '16 Games. But IOC Evaluation Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel said that she "saw no weakness in the bid." El Moutawakel: "Everything we have seen so far is positive." The committee left Rio "saying they were impressed by the commitment of political leaders at all levels to back the bid." Committee members said that Rio's hosting of the '14 World Cup is a "'good test event' and a potential advantage over three other cities vying" for the '16 Games -- Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid. Rio organizers were "promoting the city's youth, energy and diversity," and said that their bid is the "only one capable of taking the Olympic tradition in a new direction." Brazil President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva "guaranteed that Brazil would provide financial guarantees for the bid," while organizers said that they "planned to keep average ticket prices for events at $36." Da Silva said that "between the facilities built for the Pan-American Games and the planned investments for the World Cup, the city would be more than 75[%] prepared for the Olympics." El Moutawakel said the IOC members "were impressed by how the Games fit perfectly in Brazil's long-term planning and support for the development of the country." El Moutawakel: "There is a vision between now and many years yet to come, and these Olympic Games come right in the middle of that global vision." But Barrionuevo notes security "remains a paramount concern" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/4).

ALLEVIATING DOUBTS: AROUND THE RINGS' Ed Hula wrote Rio "appears to have succeeded this week in scratching off some doubts about its Olympic bid. They are not all gone, mind you, but without any major disruptions to the IOC Evaluation Commission this week, Rio 2016 leaders should get a bounce on technical points for what already may be the bid carrying the most emotional appeal -- a first-ever Games in South America." Rio "leads the 2016 cities so far with the government's show of strength." Whether the '14 World Cup "will hamper the chances for Rio de Janeiro remains an outstanding issue for IOC members to decide." But Rio bid leaders "stuck to message when the World Cup intersected with the 2016 bid this week," claiming that "preparations for the World Cup can only help the 2016 Olympics" (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 5/3).