Officials "are preparing a Plan B in case the main swimming venue for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is not ready for a test event in April," according to the AP.
Int'l Swimming Federation (FINA) Exec Dir Cornel Marculescu said that the event from April 15-20 "could be moved to the nearby diving venue, which also contains a 50-meter pool."
Marculescu said, "There are still a lot of things to do. We need to install an artificial ventilation system for the pool deck to make sure there is enough air circulation, that it's not too hot or cold." The venues for swimming, diving, water polo, and synchronized swimming "have been among the most contentious issues for games organizers."
FINA "has been openly critical of Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes for cutting seating in the main swimming venue, and for declining to install a roof on the remodeled diving venue." Paes responded that "many of the 28 federations that oversee summer Olympics sports were too demanding, putting an undue burden on organizers" (AP, 2/20). The AP also reported the Rio de Janiero state government said that an extension to Rio de Janeiro's metro system "will be completed ahead of
the Olympic Games." Transport Secretary Carlos Roberto Osorio
said that "the line between Ipanema and the western suburb of Barra da Tijuca
that is hosting the main Olympic Park will be completed in July." The
extension "is a key transport link for the Games opening on Aug. 5" (AP, 2/21).
BEIJING 2022: XINHUA reported Zhangjiakou, the northern city set to co-host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games with Beijing, said on Friday that "it will have its Olympic venues ready by 2020." While releasing the city's five-year development plan, Zhangjiakou Mayor Ma Yujun said that all the construction "will be completed by the end of 2020 when the city is capable of holding test events" (XINHUA, 2/20).
