By Duncan Mackay in Acapulco
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

October 27 - The United States and Brazil have signed a bilateral agreement to work together in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics and, beyond that, Rio 2016.


The agreement was finalised during the recent General Assembly of the Association of the National Olympic Committees (ANOC) here and signed by Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) President Carlos Nuzman and  United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chairman Larry Probst.

The two groups have agreed  to develop a plan for athlete exchanges and training camps in their respective countries while Brazilian athletes will have preferential access to US Olympic Training Centres.

It is also hoped that the agreement will provide an opportunity for information and knowledge transfer in the ongoing development of youth, junior and senior high performance, coaching, education and certification and jointly develop a plan for sharing best practices with an emphasis on strategic planning, organisational management and technical development, as well as high performance planning.

"We are delighted to sign this cooperation agreement, which strengthens the good relationship always maintained between the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the USOC," Nuzman said.

"I am certain the Brazilian and US athletes will benefit greatly from it.

"We are in the beginning of our journey to 2016, and with this agreement, we will be able to better assist the technical preparation of the athletes of both countries."

The COB and the USOC have also agreed to develop a programme for sharing best practices in designing, building, operating and managing modern Olympic Training Centres and develop a programme for sharing best practices in developing international sport leaders.

Probst added: "This agreement is evidence that the Olympic Movement and the advancement of values like friendship and respect transcend cultures and competitions.

"Just a little more than one year ago, the USOC and the COB were engaged in a spirited competition for the honor of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"Rather than create rivalry, that competition helped establish some very positive, meaningful relationships.

"This pact formalises the close ties that we have developed with our friends in the COB, and for me, reinforces the importance of the USOC's full participation in the international Olympic Movement."

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