This Sunday, the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee celebrated the four year mark before the start of the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games with an event at Casa Brasil, hosted at Somerset House. Those present included Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of Rio 2016™; Leonardo Gryner, CEO of the Organising Committee; and Stephen Urquhart, President of OMEGA, a Worldwide Olympic Partner and supplier of the countdown clock for the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games that is displayed at Casa Brasil.

Four years ahead of the Opening Ceremony, all of the major construction work needed for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games is under way, including Line 4 of the Metro system and the renovation of the port district. Within the last year, work has begun on the Olympic Park, located in the Barra zone, which will occupy a site covering 1.18 million square metres and will host a total of nine sports. The foundations of the Olympic Village buildings have also already been laid, after the ground has been prepared, and the design for the golf course has been selected.

With regards to infrastructure, work on the Transolimpica Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line started in July 2012, and funding for the Transbrasil BRT link and the Light Rail Transit line in the port area has been guaranteed.

Besides highlighting the progress in preparations for Rio 2016™, Nuzman mentioned the work that the 152 observers from the Organising Committee are doing at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: “With four years to go, we continue to learn and be inspired here, and at the same time, we are making significant progress in our home town. We can already feel the transformational power of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in a very tangible way. ” 

Carlos Nuzman and Stephen Urquhart, President of the OMEGA (Photo: Rio 2016™)

The city’s transformations last year included the opening of the new Sambodromo (venue for the start and finish of the Olympic marathon and archery contest) for this year’s Carnival, and the Transoeste BRT system’s is now in operation and open to the general public.

The President of the Organising Committee also noted that one week from today, the eyes of the world will turn to Rio when the city receives the Olympic Flag during the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony.