An aerial view of the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill and the Mario Filho (Maracana) stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 3, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice president John Coates on Tuesday piled pressure on 2016 host Rio de Janeiro, blasting its preparations as the worst he has ever seen.
The Australian, who has made six visits to Rio as a member of the IOC Coordination Commission overseeing the Games, painted a dire picture of the progress being made, which he said was of ‘critical concern’.
He told an Olympic Forum in Sydney that the IOC had been forced to take ‘unprecedented’ action, embedding experts in Rio’s Organising Committee to ensure the sporting spectacle proceeds.
“The IOC has formed a special task force to try and speed up preparations but the situation is critical on the ground,” he said.
“The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role, it is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no Plan B.”
With the clock rapidly ticking many facilities in Rio have yet to be completed because of construction delays and soaring costs.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2014.
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