Twelve months before staging world’s greatest sporting event, Rio 2016.
Lots of things can happen in 365 days. The next 12 months will touch the lives of all cariocas and all Brazilians in a special way, culminating in the start of the biggest sporting festival on the planet, on 5 August 2016.
More than 10,000 of the best athletes in the world will come to Rio, representing 206 countries.
Until then, dozens of test events will warm the city up for the Games, the first to be staged in South America. At the same time, the country will be inspired by the Olympic torch relay, which will pass through 300 cities, starting in May. The great symbol of Olympism will help spread the warmth and joy of Brazilians across the whole world.
Since Rio won the right to host the Games, in 2009, the organising committee has worked on many initiatives in various areas. Much has been achieved and more will be delivered in the final straight. It is an era that Brazil will never forget.
1. Taking the Games into schools
Launched in 2014, the Rio 2016 education programme (Transforma) promotes new sports, and Olympic and Paralympic values in schools.
- Transforma reaches 2,200 public and private institutions and one million students
- It has already trained 5,700 education professionals, including coordinators, physical education teachers, young agents and tutors
- Of this total, 3,600 are young agents (student leaders in schools)
- During this period, 12,780 hours of training were completed by coordinators and physical education teachers
- Three Transforma sports festivals have already brought together more than 3,000 people
2. Inspiring volunteering in Brazil and around the world
The volunteer programme, launched in 2014, had over 240,000 sign-ups from all states in Brazil and another 192 countries. The United States, Russia, China and Great Britain were the nations with the most candidates after Brazil.
- Over 240,000 sign-ups
- From 192 countries
- Eight training centres across Brazil
- Over 20,000 candidates already selected and ready to perform
- 70,000 will work at volunteers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games
3. A torch to inspire a nation
The concept of the Rio 2016 Olympic torch was presented at the beginning of 2015, with the union between the Olympic flame and the warmth of the Brazilian people being the central notion. The relay will begin with thetraditional lighting ceremony in the Greek city of Olympia, birthplace of the ancient Games.
- 83 cities are already confirmed along the relay route
- 12,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame around Brazil
- The torch will pass through 300 cities in 26 Brazilian states, as well as the Federal District
- The relay will last approximately 100 days, starting in the capital city of Brasília
(Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)