Story highlights Dilma Rousseff says she'll be "very sad" if impeachment forces her to miss the Olympics

The Brazilian President says sexism is playing a role in the push to impeach her

Impeachment shouldn't be tied to the popularity of a President, she argues

(CNN) When her country signed on to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, Dilma Rousseff was there from the beginning.

"If that happens, I will be very sad. ... I would very much like to take part in the Olympic process, because I helped build the effort from day one," Rousseff told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview set to air Thursday.

If a Senate committee recommends her impeachment and a majority of senators approve the motion, Rousseff could be suspended as early as May -- about three months before the Summer Olympics are set to kick off in Rio de Janeiro.

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The event was supposed to showcase Brazil as a rising power on the global stage. But these days, the hurdles her country is facing in a massive corruption scandal seem to be springing up faster than runners on an Olympic racetrack.

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