The year 2011 will not be forgotten by those who followed each and every detail of the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games preparation. In addition to the launch of the two Games’ emblems, the world has also known the winning project of the Olympic Park and the new sponsors of the greatest 2016 sporting event in the world. And that was not all.

2011 IN REVIEW: Infrastructure changes in the city of Rio

2011 IN REVIEW: Rio 2016™ celebrates 2011's accomplishments

Check out what was under the spotlight in the year 2011:

Launch of the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic emblems

Two million people watched live the launch of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games emblem at the famous Copacabana beach New Year’s Eve party. The thrill of the first minutes of 2011 had a reprise in November, when the Rio 2016™ Paralympic Games emblem was presented to the world at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a Rio landmark and the stage of many sporting competitions in 2016.

Presentation of the Strategic Pillars

In July, during the International Olympic Committee General Assembly, the President of the Rio 2016™ Organising Committee President, Mr. Carlos Arthur Nuzman, presented the strategic pillars by which the Games planning and organisation will be underpinned: Technical Excellence, Memorable Celebrations, Global Image of Brazil, Transformation through Sport and Growth of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

New sponsors

In March, the consortium of Embratel and Claro was chosen as the national sponsor of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games in the Telecommunications Services category. In August, GE, a technology and services multinational company, announced the extension of its sponsorship agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) till the 2020 Games, including the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games. In September, Ernst Young Terco was announced as an official supporter of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games, in the Professional Services category.

Olympic Park

The winning project of the International Competition for the Rio 2016™ Olympic Park Urban Masterplan was unveiled in August. Developed by global service provider AECOM, the project outlines how the Olympic Park area will be used, the public spaces, squares and parks as well as the location of the permanent and temporary venues and the future real estate developments to be built at the site.

Five years to the Olympic Games

The Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games completed five years on 5 August 2011, a special date in the countdown to the greatest sporting event on the planet. On this day and in the entire month of August, many activities were part of the celebrations.

Five years to the Paralympic Games

On 7 September, 2016, millions of people from all over the world will draw their attention to the Rio 2016™ Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, which will take place at Maracanã Stadium. Five years before, the Organising Committee celebrated the important date with a special event carried out in its headquarter, in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Paralympic medallists such as André Brasil (Swimming), Roseanne dos Santos and Yohansson do Nascimento (Athletics) talked about their successful trajectories to a group of almost 100 young athletes from Rio schools who are also Brazilian School Paralympic Games medallists.