Rio gets glowing report on Olympic progress

Rio de Janeiro won praise on Thursday for its "remarkable" progress in early preparations to host the 2016 Olympic Games, after a three-day inspection of the Brazilian city by Olympic officials.

The glowing report is a welcome relief for Brazil's government, which has been trying to dispel mounting concerns that the country may not be fully ready to host the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup two years earlier.

The two huge sporting events represent a coming out party for Latin America's largest economy and have helped fuel investor interest in the country, but some projects are already facing delays due to bureaucracy and other bottlenecks.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) praised the pace of infrastructure work in Rio and a government effort to speed up plans to expand Brazil's overcrowded airports in time for the World Cup.

"Over a year ago, at the end of our first visit, I said that time was passing by and we had no time to waste," said Nawal El Moutawakel, the head of the IOC's Coordination Commission and a Moroccan gold medalist in 1984.

"Today I am happy to say that Rio 2016 and its partners have taken those words seriously and made remarkable progress."

El Moutawakel, in a statement released by Brazil's government, highlighted the signing of an agreement for construction of the Olympic Village for athletes as a key sign of progress. Rio has also decided on the venues for all Olympic events, including the newcomer sport of golf.

In contrast, delays and cost overruns are plaguing plans to build new stadiums for the World Cup, which in the case of Rio's Maracana stadium will also be used for the Olympics. The government said last month it would form public-private consortiums to revamp three of the country's main airports as part of a broader effort to speed up preparations for the events.

But critics question whether the proper regulatory environment will be in place for investments to go ahead.

In Rio, which won the fiercely fought contest in 2009 to host the Games, work is under way on three new rapid-transit bus lines that officials say are the most cost-effective way to ease congestion for the sports events and beyond.

The city also plans to renovate its largely abandoned old port area as part of its preparations.

"Rio is one of the cities that will probably benefit most from having the Games," COI's Olympic Games director Gilbert Felli told a news conference. "All the developments aren't necessarily needed for the Games but it's an opportunity to do this now and not lose the opportunity."

The city has been criticized in recent months by human rights groups, who say the new highways are being used as an excuse to evict poor communities without paying them proper compensation or offering alternative housing nearby.

"This is an issue that we are obviously watching closely," El Moutawakel said.