Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Interros Investment Company President Vladimir Potanin, left, as he visits the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center in Rosa Khutor outside the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Putin on Wednesday toured parts of the Olympic mountain cluster, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The sign in the background reads Rosa Khutor. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, pool)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Interros Investment Company President Vladimir Potanin, left, as he visits the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center in Rosa Khutor outside the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Putin on Wednesday toured parts of the Olympic mountain cluster, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The sign in the background reads Rosa Khutor. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, pool)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center in Rosa Khutor outside the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013. Putin on Wednesday toured centers of the Olympic mountain cluster, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, Pool)
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FILE - In this Saturday, Sept 30, 2000 file photo Russia's Viacheslav Ekimov, center, winner of the gold medal in the men's individual time trials, celebrates with Germany's silver medal winner Jan Ullrich, left, and U.S bronze medal winner Lance Armstrong at the cycling road course in Sydney, for the Summer Olympic Games. Officials familiar with the decision tell The Associated Press the IOC has stripped Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of his involvement in doping. Two officials say the IOC sent a letter to Armstrong on Wednesday night Jan. 16, 2013, asking him to return the medal. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)
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FILE - In this July 25, 2010, file photo, Lance Armstrong looks back on the podium after the 20th and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Paris, France. Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France during a taped interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, reversing more than a decade of denial. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski, File)
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Years of speculation is about to end as the first part of Lance Armstrong's television interview with Oprah Winfrey is aired on Thursday night. Any admission of drug use by Armstrong will end more than a decade of denials. (Jan. 17)
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FILE - In a Sept. 30, 2000 file photo, U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong waves after receiving the bronze medal in the men's individual time trials at the 2000 Summer Olympics cycling road course in Sydney, Australia. Officials familiar with the decision tell The Associated Press the IOC has stripped Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of his involvement in doping. Two officials say the IOC sent a letter to Armstrong on Wednesday night, Jan. 16, 2013, asking him to return the medal. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File)
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Experts say revelations by cyclist Lance Armstrong that he engaged in doping during his professional career will undoubtedly have a negative effect on Livestrong the charity Armstrong founded. (Jan. 18)
Work begins on 2016 Olympic golf course in Rio
RIO DE JANEIRO (
AP) — Work has finally begun on the 2016 Olympic golf course after delays caused by a legal dispute over ownership of the site.
The organizing committee for the Rio de Janeiro Games said on Wednesday that clearing work had begun to remove "non-native vegetation" after a permit was issued by the city. Construction is set to begin in April and Carlos Nuzman, head of the organizing committee, said the course would be ready for a test event in 2015.
The move should come as a relief to the International Olympic Committee, which has repeatedly downplayed the ongoing legal dispute but was officially notified about it by court officials during a recent inspection visit to Rio. Two different companies have claimed ownership of the land, with one having announced plans to build a housing complex there instead.
"We are delighted that work has begun on the golf venue and we remain on track to deliver the golf course for a test event in 2015 as scheduled," Nuzman said in a statement.
The course is being designed by American Gil Hanse. The 2016 Games will be the first time golf has appeared in the Olympics since 1904 in St. Louis.
"We are very excited and pleased to have begun the initial clearing of the site," Hanse said. "It is the start of a long process to transform this property into a beautiful golf course, and we are happy to get started."
Work on the course was to have started six months ago, and organizers have said the delay was not related to the legal case.
The course will be built in an area of Rio called Barra, about 3 miles from the athletes' village.
Tags:
international olympic committee, ap, rio, rio de janeiro, carlos nuzman, 2008 summer olympics, summer olympic games, olympic games, site, wednesday, work, series, relief, olympic golf course, ongoing legal dispute, 2016 summer olympics, sports, winter olympic games, delays, construction, head, permit, city, ownership, court officials, test event, janeiro games, legal dispute, different companies, housing complex, recent inspection visit, non-native vegetation, rio de janeiro bid for the 2016 summer olympics
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