From the 5th to 21st of August 2016, Rio de Janeiro will play host to the first Olympic Games in South America. The ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (Marvelous City) was chosen in 2009 at the 121st IOC Session above cities Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago. After the FIFA World Cup in 2014, the Olympics will be the 2nd major event organised in short succession within Brazil. Rio de Janeiro was also the host city for the Pan American Games in 2007.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautifully situated cities in the world. The Cariocas (nickname for citizens of the city) live in the middle of a spectacular landscape where the ocean meets lavishly green mountains. The difference in altitude, however, make city planning difficult with uncontrollable growth and infrastructure as the largest challenges.
1. Masterplan
The Games of Rio de Janeiro are relatively compact. Apart from football, all the sport events are situated within the city (Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Salvador, São Paulo and Manaus are the other football locations).
The venues are situated in four zones: Barra, Deodoro, Maracanã and Copacabana. Barra is the most important zone, with the Olympic Park, Olympic Village, media centre with hotel and most of the competition venues being located here.
2. Barra Olympic Park
Design: AECOM (Winner of international competition in 2011)
Year completed: 2016
Size: 120 hectares / 9 Venues / 3 Non Competition Venues
Olympic Sports: 16; Basketball, Wrestling (Freestyle / Greco-Roman), Judo, Fencing, Teakwondo, Handball, Diving, Synchronized Swimming, Swimming, Tennis, Gymnastics (gala / artistic / rhythmic / trampoline) and Track Cycling
Paralympic Sports: 9; Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby, Boccia, Judo, Goalball, Swimming, Wheelchair Tennis, Football 5-a-side and Para-cycling Track
Legacy: Legacy use include; Recreation and leisure hub / Housing / Public park / Rainforest education centre / Sport / Educational Campus
3. Transportation
The four zones and the international airport are connected to each other in various ways. Firstly are the Olympic Lanes. These are specially dedicated lanes only for athletes, officials and the media. Visitors to the Games will mostly have to use the metro and bus as means of transportation. The BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system has been expanded and now connects the entire city. An essential (and ambitious) part of the transport plan is the construction of metro line 4 between Ipanema and Barra. According to the last prognosis (end of May 2016), the line will be opened just four days prior to the beginning of the Games.
Rio de Janeiro Transportation map (as of 2016)
