By Mike Rowbottom in London

January 29 - Less than 24 hours after facing the Chilcot Committee over  the legality of the Iraq war, former Prime Minister Tony Blair will face questions in a less hostile environment as he is quizzed by key advisers of the Rio 2016 team.


"As Tony Blair was Prime Minister when London bid for the Games, and in the years after they won the vote, it will be very important for us to hear about his views and experiences, particularly on the subject of the post-bidding process," said the Governor of Rio, Sergio Cabral, who is in London with Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva and Organising Committee president Carlos Nuzman for meetings with the London Organising Committee.

Cabral added: "London was our inspiration during the bid."

Nuzman said the Rio team was already drawing on the operation of the London 2012 Organising Committee.

"We have been most impressed with the professionalism of the organising committee as they prepare to hold 28 ‘World championships’ at the same time over two weeks.

"We like the way sport is leading the Organising Committee thanks to my friend Sebastian Coe."

Nuzman added that the Rio team were impressed with the method LOCOG used to organise tenders for work, and said that the Rio 2016 would be filling senior positions within its Organising Committee by using the same team of professional ‘headhunters’ - Odgers and Berndtson - that London 2012 employed.

The co-operation between Britain and Brazil was formalised at Governmental level in November, when Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed an agreement for London 2012 and Rio 2016 to share their experience and expertise in preparing for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Cabral declined to offer any figures when asked about the budget for the organisation of the Games, adding: "It took two years for London to prepare their project after winning the bid. We cannot answer for you now about the budget."

Nuzman said that the basis of the budget would be the one cited in the bid book before the Olympic vote took place, but that that would be reviewed later this year.

He expected the new figure to be ready for presentation to the International Olympic Committee by September.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]



Related stories
November 2009: Lula signs Olympic cooperation deal with Britain
April 2009: Brazilian President visits London's Olympic Park