By Nick Butler

Sebastian Coe has admitted that hosting an Olympic Games is hard but believes Rio 2016 will have a lot of assistance to help them ©Getty ImagesFormer London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe has provided a confidence boost for Rio 2016 after insisting that, while organising an Olympics and Paralympics is hard, they will benefit from a lot of help over the next two years.


This comes as Rio 2016 organisers continue to battle so many problems ahead of the Games, spanning areas ranging from construction to water pollution, and from security to legacy promises that it was even claimed last week the event could be relocated to London. 

The idea was immediately rejected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as "non-starter and unfeasible".

Coe, now chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), claimed the two-years-to-go point is the hardest hurdle to clear as he advised Rio de Janeiro to maintain their confidence and focus despite the recent setbacks.

"Organising and staging an Olympic and Paralympic Games is hard, take it from someone who has had a go at it and got the proverbial T-shirt," Coe wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

"Two years out from any Games is one of the hardest periods any Organising Committee enters, because Winter Games are finished and you really are the next one out of the blocks.

"The spotlight turns on to you and with it the unremitting glare of the public and media drawing attention to every shortcoming, and here no Organising Committee chair should be coy or naive, it is inevitable that there will be shortcomings.

"However, they know they have access to some of the finest minds and a wealth of expertise in the Olympic Movement and they are, and will, all help.

"No single organisation puts on a Games, it is a collaborative team effort and now is the time for those who can to step up and help.

"What the IOC does not do is leave host cities to flounder or fail.

"It works alongside the Organising Committee, provides guidance, shares knowledge and best practice and adds support where required without fuss or headlines. 

"I am forever grateful for the support, advise and expertise the London 2012 Games received from our own people and communities as well as the wider international sporting family and of course our Olympic and Paralympic partners."

Sebastian Coe speaking alongside Rio 2016 counterpart Carlos Nuzman in 2013 ©Getty ImagesSebastian Coe speaking alongside Rio 2016 counterpart Carlos Nuzman in 2013 ©Getty Images



IOC President Thomas Bach has refused to publicly criticise Rio 2016.

Instead he has tried to put in place a number of initiatives instead , including the introduction of three specific task forces, improved coordination between all the relevant parties, and more regular visits by IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli.

Coe added a lot has changed in the world since the Brazilian city was awarded the Games in 2009 ahead of rival bids from Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, but it was certainly not the wrong choice.

He admitted that "at its heart it was a brave decision by the IOC but then we expect that", before tracing the history of the Movement from the re-embracing of Japan into the Olympic fold by awarding Tokyo the 1964 Games, through to the allocation of the 2008 Games to Beijing.

"This is an organisation that doesn't just mirror events it often sets the trend," he said.

Coe, the double Olympic 1500 metres champion, is the leading contender to replace Lamine Diack as President of the International Association of Athletics Federations when he steps down next year and has been working closely with Rio 2016 since they were awarded the Games. 

"I know the Rio Organising Committee well and I know they are a thoroughly decent, talented and hard working team of people," he said.

"They know there is much to do.

"They know that the World Cup will be a global litmus test and judgments will be made about them in all corners of the world.

"They know the responsibility they have to their people, their city, their country and, of course, the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and the watching world.

"They also know they can count on the IOC and the wider Olympic Movement to help them where they need it."

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