The Olympic Games are now this year! In only seven months the best athletes in the world will march in the Opening Ceremony and the culture and passion of Brazil will be on show.

It is getting to the business end of preparations and crunch time for athletes chasing quota spots and selection (more here>>>).

It is do or die for the men’s football team with their final qualification tournament in Qatar beginning next week (more here>>>). We know they can do it and will be cheering every step of the way. There are plenty of athletes in action this month (Olympic calendar>>>).

We start the year with eight (8) athletes selected to the 2016 Australian Olympic Team (check out their bios here>>>) and approximately 442 more will be named before mid-July. The first Athletics selections are imminent and Canoe/kayak slalom will be announced by the end of February.

The Road Cycling National Championships are later this week in Ballarat with Rio hopefuls desperate to impress selectors. The build-up to the Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam is underway with valuable ranking points on the line.

In Rio this month, Test Events resume on January 15 with the Australian women’s basketball team featuring in a four-team tournament against Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. The Carioca Arena 1, the finals venue for basketball, will be the second venue in the Olympic Park to hold a test event.

Construction will continue in both the Deodoro and Olympic Parks, with big progress at the velodrome expected this month. Before the New Year’s celebrations, the organising committee said the Olympic Park is 95 percent complete, and three out of the six newvenues in Deodoro had reached 100 percent completion. January will be a big month of activity across the city.

Rio will demonstrate to the world again how they can throw a massive party with this year’s Carnival Festival held from February 5-10, at the iconic Sambodrome which is set to host the Rio 2016 archery events.

Another two ASPIRE athlete sessions will be held this month in Melbourne and Adelaide. These motivational sessions educate athletes on what to expect in the Village and the city, and reinforce the need for a ‘One Team’ culture that will lead to success and a ‘Life Best Experience’ for all in Rio. The athletes also have measurements taken for their uniforms, conduct media interviews and provide final details for accreditation.

It is an exciting time for all athletes, coaches, officials and fans. #ComeWithUs Australia

Andrew Reid
olympics.com.au