Rio Olympics 2016: financial crisis means ‘cuts’ to Paralympics
Source: The Australian
The financial crisis that has paralysed the Rio2016 organising committee will result in “intelligent cuts’’ to the Paralympics, but officials insisted the competition, which starts in less than three weeks, will still go ahead.
However there have been a series of crisis meetings overnight with government officials, Olympic officials and Olympic sponsors to help bail out the organisers so they can pay critical grants to enable Paralympians to travel to the Games.
The Rio mayor Eduardo Paes said it would be “a shame’’ if the Paralympics were to be cancelled and gave a commitment to help fund some of the shortfall if a current legal injunction allows public monies to go to the Rio2016 organisers, which is privately funded.
Up to 60 Paralympic committees around the world, especially in Oceania and Africa, are relying on these travel grants, worth a total of about A$12 million.
Read more: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rio-olympics/rio-olympics-2016-financial-crisis-means-cuts-to-paralympics/news-story/6e6c5f1889bbc0a91a03fab8b50b26e2
In other Rio news:
A TV news report showed two of the injured looking dazed, sitting on the ground near the heavy black camera housing. One woman, bleeding from her head as medics arrived, was taken away on a stretcher. The other walked from the scene wearing a neck brace.
"I was looking to the camera ... and suddenly I heard a big snap on the cable and the camera came down," said visitor Chris Adams, a member of the British gymnastics delegation, who was taking pictures inside the park at the time.
The camera belonged to the International Olympic Committee's official broadcasting unit, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), a spokesman for the Rio Games organizers said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-camera-idUSKCN10Q1QR
