The president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Arthur
Nuzman, says he will appeal a decision by the International Track and Field
Federation to award Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima the bronze medal for the
marathon.
Lima was leading the race when he was grabbed and pushed off the track by a protester, losing the chance to win the race.
“We hope that now, with a cooler, more objective examination of what happened, they will reverse their decision,” said Nuzman.
If that does not happen, Brazil can appeal to the Sports Arbritation Court, in Lausanne.
The Brazilian government has already allotted US$ 120.8 million (350 million reais) to begin construction of the Pan-American Village, which will house the athletes who come to Rio in 2007 for the XV Pan-American Games.
The Minister of Sports, Agnelo Queiroz, said that the installations will serve both for the 2007 Games and to uphold Rio’s candidacy to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The structure, according to him, will be ready in two years.
Queiroz discussed the next steps and the construction calendar for the 2007 Games, at the first meeting of the Administrative Committee that will accompany the progress of the work.
He informed that the Ministry of Sports will invest US$ 10.3 million (30 million reais) in military areas where events will also be held in Rio during the 2007 Games.
According to the president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) and the Committee in charge of Organizing the XV Pan-American Games, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, 16 sports facilities will be adapted and remodeled, and seven more will be built, two of which will be temporary and five, permanent.
“Construction for the Rio 2007 Pan-American Games is already moving at an accelerated pace, and we are also working hard for Rio to win the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games,” Nuzman commented.
Agência Brasil