IOC officials have begun a three-day trip to Rio de Janeiro to discuss the city’s preparations for the 2016 Olympics, and organisers plan to take advantage of the visit to announce the designer of the golf course for the games.
Local organisers will reveal who they have picked to design the first Olympic golf course in more than 100 years on Wednesday, with IOC delegates set to be present at the site where the course will be built.
The International Olympic Committee’s visit to review Rio’s Olympic project began with meetings between its officials, city authorities and delegates of the Rio 2016 organising committee.
In addition to the update meetings, the officials will also check on some Olympic venues, including the Athletes’ Park, which will open to the public on Wednesday.
Six IOC delegates made the trip to Rio, including commission leader Nawal El Moutawakel and executive director Gilbert Felli. It’s the IOC’s first trip of the year and fifth overall to Rio since the city was picked to host the first Olympics in South America.
The winner of the Olympic golf course design will be picked from eight finalists: Gary Player Design, Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Hanse Golf Design, Hawtree Ltd, Nicklaus Design, Renaissance Golf, Robert Trent Jones II and Thomson-Perret Golf Course Architects.
Nicklaus is teaming with women’s great Annika Sorenstam on his project, while Norman has a partnership with retired Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa.
Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since being dropped following the 1904 St Louis Olympics, and the opportunity to design the historic course has attracted a lot of interest from the golfing world.
The selection committee is composed of Rio 2016 Olympic committee president Carlos Nuzman, International Golf Federation president Peter Dawson and other local representatives.
Initially, the winner was expected to be announced last December, but the deadline for proposals was extended because none of the bidders initially had the proper legal and financial documentation.
The announcement was then set for last month, but the local committee delayed it so the winner could be revealed during the IOC visit.
The course will be built in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, which will hold most of the Olympic venues.
