With just one week to go before the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) vote on the Host City for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Rio bid received a significant boost as all three levels of the Brazilian Government – Federal, State and City – sent a letter to IOC President, Jacques Rogge, confirming the appointments of Carlos Nuzman as President and Carlos Osorio as Secretary General of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee.

In the letter signed by Minister of Sport, Orlando Silva, on behalf of the Federal Government, Rio Governor Sergio Cabral and Mayor Eduardo Paes, the representatives of all levels of Governments confirmed that Rio 2016 Bid Committee President, Carlos Nuzman, and Secretary General, Carlos Osorio, had been unanimously approved to lead the future Organising Committee should Rio be selected on 2 October as Host City for the 2016 Games.

This appointment guarantees to the IOC and broader Olympic stakeholders a smooth transition and the possibility of getting to work on the first day if Rio were elected on 2 October. As pointed out in the recent IOC Evaluation Commission report, this will also importantly ensure that the OCOG “benefits from the continuity of the experience and knowledge gained and partnerships forged through organising the 2007 Pan-American Games”.

Speaking on behalf of the Government representatives, Governor Sergio Cabral, said: “The three levels of Government are unanimous in our view that Carlos Nuzman and Carlos Osorio are the people to lead a Rio 2016 Organising Committee. We have worked together since before the successful 2007 Pan and Parapan American Games and this team delivered then and is delivering now. We want the IOC to know that we want to be great partners if we are successful in being chosen as a Host City”.

Rio 2016 Bid President, Carlos Nuzman, said: “We are delighted with this vote of confidence in our bid team and consider it a very important mandate as we look forward to delivering all the way to 2016. We have had total support from the Government throughout this campaign and as we head towards the final decision, we know that we can deliver Games of certainty, celebration and transformation. Rio is ready”.