Less than a year after Brazilian officials were blasted by Australia's International Oympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates for overseeing the "worst" preparations he could remember and him claiming the situation was "critical", things appear to have stabilised.

The situation will have been a relief to Thomas Bach, whose trip here has coincided with the eighth visit of the IOC Coordination Commission, led by Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel. 

"We were pleased to be able to show President Bach that good progress has been made on the Rio 2016 Games," she said at the end of this latest three-day inspection visit. 

"The advancements made on both the Barra and Deodoro Olympic Parks were very encouraging, with both areas on track to leave fantastic legacies to the people of Rio and the athletes of Brazil."

IOC Coordination Commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel has praised Rio 2016 for the work it has done but warned they need to keep up the pace ©Getty Images

But El Moutawakel was keen to ensure that no sense of complacency is allowed to set in among Rio 2016 officials. 

"However, the Rio team is now entering the most intense phase in the preparation for the Games, as they reach a new level of detail while planning numerous test events, where Rio must reach a new level of detail in its planning," she said.

"With 21 test events planned for this year and a significant number of the world's best athletes coming to Rio to try the venues, Rio 2016 will have a lot to deliver while still preparing for the Games.

"We were pleased to see that Rio and its Government partners have put in place structures that will allow them to deal with what will be an intense year ahead, filled with thousands of details that will need to be dealt with before the Games.

"They will also need to ensure that the venues are delivered in time to host the test events.

"The golf course, velodrome and equestrian cross-country venues all have very aggressive timelines that will need to be met over the coming months."

Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman (right) claims they are committed to putting on the best Olympics and Paralympics they can ©Rio 2016

During the meetings, the IOC Coordination Commission highlighted a number of areas of focus for the local organisers, including accommodation and transport, where a significant amount of work needs to be completed this year to ensure that the Games experience is delivered at the highest level for the athletes, participants and spectators, they warned. 

"As we move at high speed from the planning to the execution phase of the project, we are dedicated to delivering on our vision for the Games. In a project of this magnitude, some obstacles will always exist, but with the help of our partners at the IOC and the three levels of Government, we will overcome them," said Carlos Nuzman, the President of Rio 2016.

"Our joint commitment to deliver excellent Games with memorable celebrations is stronger now than ever."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
February 2015: There are no fears over Rio 2016 safety, claims Bach despite spate of police killings
February 2015: FIFA and Rio 2016 at odds over use of Manaus for Olympic football matches
February 2015: Teams facing long journey at Rio 2016 after Manaus added to potential football venues
February 2015: Head of Rio 2016 Olympic Delivery Authority quits post just 18 months before Games
January 2015: Rio 2016 Torch Relay to emulate London 2012 by providing "Olympic experience"