Rio to host 44 Olympic and Paralympic test events
44 test events that will allow organisers of Rio 2016 to finalise preparations for the Games will take place between July 2015 and May 2016. There will be 34 Olympic test events, six Paralympic test events and four that will include both Olympic and Paralympic sports. About 16,000 volunteers will help stage the competitions, which will take place across 156 days of competition in total.
The events will provide an important opportunity to test the competition areas and results systems, as well as integrating all the relevant stakeholders and training the teams of people who will be responsible for running the events during the Games.
The first cluster of events will take place between July and October 2015, focusing on outdoor events. The second, from November 2015 to February 2016, will be more focused on indoor events, while the last, between March and May 2016, will allow preparations to be finalised.
Some of the events will be organised by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, under the banner of the Aquece Rio (‘Rio Warms Up’) series, while others will be staged by the respective International Sports Federations, Brazilian Federations or the Brazilian Paralympic Committee, although Rio 2016 will test specific operations during these events.
Events such as gymnastics and triathlon will provide direct Rio 2016 Games qualification opportunities, while others such as badminton, shooting and athletics offer the chance for athletes to gain ranking points or meet minimum qualification criteria in their quest for Olympic qualification.
Some events will be ticketed, while others will not be open to spectators. There will also be events – such as such as triathlon, sailing, marathon swimming and road cycling – that the public will be able to see without tickets.
TEST EVENTS: AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2015
| SPORT | EVENT | DATE | VENUE |
| Volleyball | FIVB 2015 World League Finals | 14-19/07/2015 | Maracanãzinho |
| Triathlon/Paratriathlon | Aquece Rio Triathlon Olympic Qualifier and Paratriathlon Event | 01-02/08/2015 | Fort Copacabana |
| Rowing | 2015 World Rowing Junior Championship | 05-09/08/2015 | Lagoa Stadium |
| Equestrian | Aquece Rio International Horse Trials | 06-09/08/2015 | Olympic Equestrian Centre |
| Sailing | Aquece Rio International Sailing Regatta 2015 | 15-22/08/2015 | Marina da Glória |
| Road Cycling | Aquece Rio International Road Cycling Challenge | 16/08/2015 | Fort Copacabana |
| Marathon Swimming | Aquece Rio International Marathon Swimming Event | 22-23/08/2015 | Fort Copacabana |
| Beach Volleyball | FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour | 01-06/09/2015 | Beach Volleyball Arena |
| Canoe Sprint/Paracanoe | Aquece Rio International Canoe Sprint | 04-06/09/2015 | Lagoa Stadium |
| Archery/Paralympic Archery | Aquece Rio International Archery Challenge | 15-22/09/2015 | Sambódromo |
| BMX Cycling | Aquece Rio International BMX Challenge | 03-04/10/2015 | Olympic BMX Centre |
| Mountain Bike | Aquece Rio International Mountain Bike Challenge | 11/10/2015 | Mountain Bike Centre |
TEST EVENTS: NOVEMBER 2015 TO FEBRUARY 2016
| SPORT | EVENT | DATE | VENUE |
| Boccia | Aquece Rio International Boccia Tournament | 12-14/11/2015 | Riocentro – Pavillion 4 |
| Table Tennis | Aquece Rio International Table Tennis Tournament | 18-21/11/2015 | Riocentro – Pavillion 4 |
| Water Polo | Aquece Rio International Water Polo Tournament | 18-22/11/2015 | Julio de Lamare Aquatics Centre |
| Hockey | Aquece Rio International Hockey Championship | 24-28/11/2015 | Olympic Hockey Centre |
| Badminton | BWF Grand Prix | 24-29/11/2015 | Riocentro – Pavillion 4 |
| Canoe Slalom | Aquece Rio International Canoe Slalom | 26-29/11/2015 | Whitewater Stadium |
| Golf | Aquece Rio International Golf Challenge | 26-29/11/2015 | Olympic Golf Course |
| Boxing | Aquece Rio International Boxing Tournament | 01-06/12/2015 | Riocentro – Pavillion 4 |
| Tennis/Wheelchair Tennis | Brazil Masters Cup | 10-12/12/2015 | Olympic Tennis Centre |
| Basketball | Aquece Rio International Women’s Basketball Tournament | 15-17/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 1 |
| Judo | Aquece Rio International Judo Tournament | 16-17/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 2 |
| Powerlifting | IPC Powerlifting Americas World Cup | 19-22/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 2 |
| Taekwondo | Aquece Rio International Taekwondo Tournament | 23-24/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 3 |
| Wheelchair Rugby | Aquece Rio International Wheelchair Rugby Championship | 29-31/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 1 |
| Wrestling | Aquece Rio International Women’s Wrestling Tournament | 30-31/01/2016 | Carioca Arena 2 |
| Diving | FINA Diving World Cup | 19-24/02/2016 | Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre |
| Race Walk | National Race Walk Championship | 28/02/2016 | To be confirmed |
TEST EVENTS: MARCH TO MAY 2016
| SPORT | EVENT | DATE | VENUE |
| Synchronised Swimming | Olympic Games Synchronised Swimming Qualification Tournament 2016 | 02-06/03/2016 | Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre |
| Rugby | Aquece Rio International Women’s Rugby Sevens | 05-06/03/2016 | Deodoro Stadium |
| Modern Pentathlon | UIPM World Cup 2 | 10-14/03/2016 | Deodoro Stadium/Deodoro Aquatics Centre/ Youth Arena |
| Track Cycling | Aquece Rio International Track Cycling Challenge | 18-20/03/2016 | Rio Olympic Velodrome |
| Weightlifting | South American Championship | 07-10/04/2016 | Carioca Arena 3 |
| Football | National Championship Match | 09/04/2016 | To be confirmed |
| Swimming | Maria Lenk Open Championship | 12-16/04/2016 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium |
| Shooting | ISSF World Cup | 14-25/04/2016 | Olympic Shooting Centre |
| Gymnastics | Aquece Rio Final Gymnastics Qualifier | 16-24/04/2016 | Rio Olympic Arena |
| Paralympic Swimming | CPB Paralympic International Open | 19-23/04/2016 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium |
| Fencing | Grand Prix and World Cup Finals | 22-26/04/2016 | Carioca Arena 3 |
| Handball | Aquece Rio International Men’s Handball Tournament | 29/04-01/05/2016 | Future Arena |
| Goalball | Aquece Rio International Men’s Goalball Tournament | 04-05/05/2016 | Future Arena |
| Athletics | Ibero-American Championships | 13-15/05/2016 | Olympic Stadium |
| Paralympic Athletics | CPB Paralympic International Open | 17-21/05/2016 | Olympic Stadium |
Rihanna and Rod Stewart return to Rock in Rio 2015
Rihanna has been confirmed as the headline act at Rock in Rio on Saturday, 26 September 2015. The singer last played Rock in Rio in 2011when she shared the bill on the opening night with Elton John and Katy Perry. Perry also returns this year and will headline on Sunday, 27 September.
Rod Stewart returns to headline the night of 20 September. Stewart, like Queen, played at the first rock in Rio in 1985.
Other recent additions to the line up include Sam Smith, Royal Blood, Motely Crue, The Script and One Republic.
So far confirmed are:
Friday, 18 September: Queen, One Republic, The Script
Saturday, 19 September: Metallica, Motley Crue, Royal Blood
Sunday, 20 September: Rod Stewart, John Legend
Thursday, 24 September: System of a Down, Queens of the Stone Age, Hollywood Vampires, CPM 22
Friday, 25 September: Slipknot, Faith No More, Mastodon, De la Terra
Saturday, 26 September: Rihanna, Sam Smith
Sunday, 27 September: Katy Perry, Ah-Ha, Cidade Negra
FIFA confirms football venues for Rio 2016 Olympic Games
It has been confirmed that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games men’s and women’s football tournaments will take place in six cities: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Manaus, Brasília and Belo Horizonte. It has also been decided that the 58 matches will be staged at: Corinthians Arena (São Paulo), the Maracanã and Olympic Stadium (Rio de Janiero), Arena Fonte Nova (Salvador), Mané Garrincha Stadium (Brasília), Amazônia Arena (Manaus) and the Mineirão (Belo Horizonte).
“The inclusion of Manaus (photo) in the Rio 2016 Olympic schedule will enrich the tournament with a visit of the football players to one of the most iconic locations in the world,” said Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman. “I am certain that the Amazon will welcome the Olympic world with a memorable celebration.”
Football is the only sport that will be hosted outside of Rio de Janeiro, with the tournament taking the Rio 2016 Games out to the rest of Brazil. There will be 16 teams in the men’s competition and 12 in the women’s tournament.
Marco Polo Del Nero, chairman of the FIFA Organising Committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments, said: “The Olympic football tournaments will be a fantastic opportunity to revive the great atmosphere seen during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, not only in Rio de Janeiro, but also in the other five cities. They did an excellent job in 2014, and now they can use the World Cup stadiums and infrastructure already in place to unite the country for a major event once more. I am confident that the participating teams will have an unforgettable Olympic experience.”
Two South American teams are already confirmed in the Rio 2016 men’s football competition: Brazil, as host country, and Argentina, as the winners of the South American under-20 championship. In the women’s tournament, Colombia confirmed their place, along with hosts Brazil, by finishing runners-up in last year’s Copa America. All the remaining places will be decided by April 2016.
The men’s Olympic football competition features players up to the age of 23 (born after 31 December 1992), with the exception of three ‘over-age’ players per nation. The16 teams will be divided into four groups of four and the competition will begin on 4 August, one day before the Olympic Games opening ceremony. The two best-performing members of each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. The final will be played on 20 August, a day before the closing ceremony, at the Maracanã Stadium.
In the women’s competition there are no age restrictions. The 12 teams will be split into three groups of four, and matches will start on 3 August. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals. The final will be played on 19 August, also at the Maracanã Stadium.
79 new hotels for Rio for 2016
According to the O Globo newspaper, there are 79 new hotels waiting to open in Rio de Janeiro in time for the Olympic and Paralympic games. 43 of these will be four star properties and 15 are expected to be five star.
The new hotels are expected to include a branch of So, the boutique range of Sofitel; and Yoo (photo), which has been designed by Phillipe Starck’s studio. Another major project is Prodigy, a hotel that will be part of the Bossa Nova Mall that is to be located in a building neighbouring the Santos Dumont airfield that used to be the administrative headquarters of the Brazilian airlines VARIG and VASP. The building has sweeping views across the bay to Sugar Loaf.
Blue Tree are developing a new resort property in Recreio, while Barra, where the Olympic Village is located, should receive new hotels from both Hilton and Hyatt in time for the games.
Rio gains a new Clubhouse
Following the success of The Clubhouse in Buenos Aires, Oasis Collections has announced it will expand its members-only club network to include Rio de Janeiro. The new location will serve as a home away from home for its local and global members, as well as provide support to travellers staying in any of Oasis’ 100 hand-picked homes around the city.
The new club, The Clubhouse, will be located on Rua Saint Roman, in Cantagalo between Ipanema and Copacabana, and is scheduled for a soft-launch in April 2015.
Cultural Director Cande Salles, has worked closely with the Clubhouse team to select a diverse group of founding members which include supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, fashion icon Alice Dellal, designers Oskar Metsahvat and Lenny Niemeyer, Brazilian musician Seu Jorge and prominent artist Vik Muniz.
French architect/designer Jean-Luc Boucharenc and Parker Stanberry, Co-Founder & CEO of Oasis Collections, have led the renovation of a 1940s residence, with interior design direction by British designer Lizzie Ward, whose previous work has included set design and production for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Mario Testino.
Inspired by the carefree Carioca lifestyle of the 60s & 70s with a hint of the English gentleman’s club, the property will offer five stylish guest suites, infinity pool, two bars and a multi-level terrace with views of the surrounding hills and the Atlantic.
As with the Buenos Aires location, Clubhouse Rio will host a full and eclectic calendar of events for its members, including private dinners with top local and international chefs, art exhibitions, music performances and screenings. Membership will cost roughly US$1,500 per year.
“When we started thinking about our next location, Rio and Sao Paulo were both natural targets given our focus on the Brazilian market,” says Stanberry. “Despite its smaller size, Rio quickly became our top choice due to the demand from the creative class of that city for this concept.”
Clubs in the partner network that members will have access to include not only the The Clubhouse in Buenos Aires but also The Hospital in London, The Spoke in Toronto, and the Oasis Collections in Cartagena and José Ignacio.
Rio will host the FIVB Volleyball World League 2015 Finals
The FIVB Volleyball World League 2015 Group 1 Finals will be played at the Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament will serve as a test event for the volleyball competition at the Olympic Games in 2016, which will take place at the same venue.
The Group 1 Finals will be held from July 15-19 and will feature six teams (the host country, top two teams from Pool A and Pool B plus the winner of Group 2) playing off for the title of the 26th edition of the World League.
The confirmation of Rio de Janeiro as the 2015 World League Finals host city follows the news that volleyball attracted the most attention for 2016 Olympic Games tickets (27%) ahead of football (21.9%), swimming (21%) and athletics (20.6%) via the Rio Olympics ticketing registration process when it officially opened in January.
The 2015 World League Intercontinental Round features eight countries competing in Group 1 (Pools A & B). In Pool A, Finals hosts Brazil, who are nine-time winners and 2014 silver medallists, will be joined by Australia, who have been promoted from Group 2, last edition’s bronze medallists Italy and three-times silver medallists Serbia. Iran, world champions Poland, Russia and reigning champions USA will compete in Pool B.
Last year’s World League saw 28 teams compete for honours and USA defeat Brazil in the Group 1 Finals in Florence, Italy.
Rio dock area taking shape for 2016 Olympics
Rio de Janeiro is already starting to see the benefits from the demolition of an extremely ugly raised highway, the Perimetral, that ran along the bay and through the heart of the dock and historic area of the city. A new tunnel, part of the Porto Maravilha project, was opened on 1 March, the 450th anniversary of the city, that is now handling and hiding much of the traffic that used the freeway.
Olympic Park takes shapes
A video of how the Olympic Park looked in January 2015 and how it will look when the games open in August 2016.
Where to locate Rio’s Olympic flame
Rio de Janeiro is going to have to decide where to put the Olympic cauldron and the Olympic flame, and this is on the list of points for Rio 2016 to discuss with the IOC.
The problem is that the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2016 Olympics will take place in the Maracanã while most of the track and field will take place in the Engenhão. The Maracanã only hosting a couple of the football games.
In the opinion of Rio the Guide the best and most spectacular solution will be to locate the Olympic flame at the feet of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the summit of Corcovado.
The result would be the first Olympics when most of the host city and its visitors could easily see the Olympic flame at all times during the tournament. That would include the yachtsmen and women in the bay, the rowers on the Lagoa, the cyclists as they cross through Flamengo Park, the archery and marathon at the sambodromo, and so on.
No you won’t be able to see the flame at Corcovado from the Olympic Village in Barra, but neither would you see an Olympic cauldron tucked away in the Maracanã or Engenhão.
We really hope that Rio 2016 will have the courage to think out of the box and play to Rio’s strengths as there will be few host cities, if any, that will have a mountain in the centre of it to use with such an iconic global landmark.
And talking of iconic, we all remember the iconic shot that went viral at the end of the 2014 World Cup!
Rio the Guide 