The João Havelange Stadium, Rios proposed Olympic Stadium for the 2016 Games, yesterday successfully hosted a Grand Prix athletics meet. Built for the 2007 Pan American Games, the stadium welcomed 175 athletes from 29 countries, including six Olympic champions, in Rios trademark festival atmosphere with a crowd of more than eight thousand supporters cheering on the athletes.
Four of the Olympic champions participating won their events: New Zealands Valerie Vili (shot put), Cubas Osleydis Menéndez (javelin), Slovenias Primo Kozmus (hammer) and Brazils own Maurren Maggi (long jump). Portuguese Nelson Évora (triple jump) and Polish Szymon Ziolkowski (hammer) took bronze in their respective events.
Carlos Nuzman, President of the Rio 2016 Bid Committee, attended the competitions at the Havelange Stadium and said: "The Grand Prix brought some of the greatest names in athletics to Rio this weekend and the level of competition was outstanding. As a further boost to our bid, our city has once again demonstrated its ability to host large-scale international sporting events safely and enjoyably for fans.
Long jump Champion in the 2007 Pan American Games and gold medalist from the Beijing 2008 Games, Maurren Maggi said: The João Havelange Stadium has become my home. I am optimistic about Rios chances to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Games in Brazil will engage the whole country and the whole continent of South America as we welcome the Games for the first time in history. It would be good for athletes, coaches and everyone who is involved in sports.
Nelson Évora, Portuguese gold medalist in the triple jump in Beijing, spoke of his pride to compete in Rio and his support for the 2016 bid: It would be wonderful to compete in a Portuguese-speaking country and young people in South America and around the world would benefit from the Games in Rio, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Irving Saladino, Panamas first gold medalist thanks to his performance in the long jump at the Beijing Games, trained for five years in Brazil and said: I would be honoured for the Games to come to Brazil in 2016. Brazil is like home to me and the Games have the power to inspire and engage millions of young people across our continent and leave a legacy for decades to come.
Eight of the Brazilians who competed in the Rio Grand Prix met the qualification requirements for the World Championship in Berlin, to be held in August: Maurren Maggi and Keila Costa (long jump), Kléberson Davide Fabiano Peçanha (800 m), José Carlos Oreiro (100 m), Mahau Suguimati (400m hurdles), Jefferson Sabino (triple jump) and Bruno Lins (200 m).
