Olympic Games News
British Airways to fly Team GB to Rio Olympics
British Airways has been appointed as the official airline partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. With a long history in supporting the national teams, British Airways will ensure the medallist hopefuls arrive refreshed and ready to compete.
WTTC applauds Brazil stance on Olympic visas
The World Travel & Tourism Council has congratulated the government of Brazil for adopting new policies that exempt tourist visas for citizens from the US, Australia, Canada and Japan during Brazil’s hosting of the 2016 Olympics. The exemptions will be in place from June 1st until September 18th this year.
Rio welcomes first Light Rail trains ahead of 2016 Olympic Games
The first train for Rio’s new Light Rail system has just arrived in Rio for testing, as part of Brazil’s investment in public infrastructure ahead of the 2016 Olympics. With over 480,000 tourists predicted to descend on Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic & Paralympic Games next summer, the Light Rail will carry approximately 285,000 tourists every day, easing the pressure on the city’s other transport systems.
France closes in on Olympic Games host bid
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach and French president François Hollande met again earlier at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. On the agenda is a possible French Olympic bid from Paris for the Olympic Games 2024. Paris moved a step closer to bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games earlier this month after the city council adopted a resolution in favour of hosting the Games.
Venues confirmed for 2016 Olympic Games football tournament
It’s confirmed. In addition to Rio de Janeiro, five other Brazilian cities will stage the 2016 Olympic Games and host the men’s and women’s football matches. The 58 matches will be played in Belo Horizonte (Mineirão), Brasília (Estádio Mané Garrincha), Manaus (Arena Amazônia), Rio de Janeiro (Maracanã and the Olympic Stadium), Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova) and São Paulo (Arena Corinthians), totalling six cities and seven stadiums.
IOC grants provisional recognition to Kosovo Olympic Committee
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee has granted provisional recognition to the Kosovo Olympic Committee and proposed that the NOC be granted full recognition at the next IOC Session to be held in December in Monaco. The NOC of Kosovo was established in 1992 and has more than 30 affiliated National Federations, 13 of which are Olympic sports federations.
Tokyo wins bid to host 2020 Olympic Games
Tokyo has been named host destination for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Japanese capital was selected by the International Olympic Committee members during the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires, beating off competition from Istanbul and Madrid.
STAR India takes on Olympic broadcasting rights
The International Olympic Committee has awarded the broadcast rights for seven countries in south Asia to STAR India for the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The deal also covered the XXXI Olympiad to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 and the second Summer Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for Nanjing, China, next year.
Argentina takes up Youth Olympic mantel
The third Summer Youth Olympic Games will be hosted by the city of Buenos Aires in 2018, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge announced earlier following a vote by the IOC members at an Extraordinary IOC Session in Lausanne. Buenos Aires (Argentina) was elected ahead of Glasgow (Great Britain) and Medellín (Colombia).
2020 Olympic Games Candidate Cities submit their files
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced it has received the Candidature Files of the three Candidate Cities bidding to host the 2020 Olympic Games: Istanbul (Turkey), Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain). The IOC Evaluation Commission, chaired by IOC vice-president Sir Craig Reedie, will now analyse the Candidature Files and make on-site inspections.
2020 Olympic Games evaluation to be chaired by Craig Reedie
The International Olympics Committee has announced the Commission to evaluate the candidatures for the 2020 Olympic Games - Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid - will be chaired by Craig Reedie, IOC vice-president and an IOC member in Great Britain. A board member of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), Reedie was also a member of the 2004 and 2008 IOC Coordination Commissions and the 2008 and 2016 IOC Evaluation Commissions.
Improving passenger circulation at London Bridge for Olympic Games
Cycle racks at London Bridge are to be removed during the Olympic and Paralympic Games to provide extra space for the hundreds of thousands of additional passengers expected to use the station.