Rio 2016 Fitting Together Final Pieces of "Big Jigsaw"

(ATR) A small team from the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee came to Washington, D.C. to engage National Olympic Committees one last time face to face before the Olympic Games.

The organizing committee sent a presenting delegation of four members for high level discussions among the delegates the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly.

For many NOCs it was the first time their leadership could engage directly with the Rio NOC relations team, and it served as a follow up to the recent chefs de mission seminar according to Mario Cilenti, director of relations for NOCs.

"It is an opportunity to be face to face with our clients so this for us is invaluable," Cilenti told Around the Rings.

"We brought the team of the regional managers to continue build that relationship and answer questions because now we are getting to all the details."

Cilenti says any potential budget shortfalls facing the organizing committee will not affect the NOC preparations. He says it is an exciting time to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" for the Olympic project.

The largest 25 NOCs will have their spaces in the Olympic Village allocated by the end of the year, which will then allow organizers to finish up fitting accommodations for all of the more than 10,000 athletes journeying to Rio.

"It is like a big jigsaw, we’re basing on estimates right now and that process will finish in July of next year," Cilenti said.

"Tenders have been awarded and contracts are being signed so everything is falling into place."

In addition to Cilenti, Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman, director of sport Agberto Guimarães, communications officer Mario Andrada and Coordination Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel gave a brief overview to the status of the Olympic project to the delegates in Washington, D.C. including the progress of many of the venues.

There were no questions from the ANOC delegates.

Recently, Rio 2016 said that the Olympic Park has passed the 90 percent completed threshold, and reiterated that all venues are on time and on budget despite the tight deadlines.

Rio 2016 will start the second phase of the test event program in mid-November, the indoor sport venues in the Olympic Park being tested.

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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