The vice president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has slammed Brazil's preparations for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, saying that they are the 'worst' he had ever seen and are 'critically behind schedule'.
Preparations for the first Olympics on the South American continent have been plagued by delays, rising costs and bad communication between different levels of the Brazilian government and organisers, prompting criticism from international sports federations.
According to Stuff.co.nz, IOC vice president John Coates has said that construction has not commenced on some venues, infrastructure is significantly delayed and water quality is also a major concern two years out from the Games, although he admitted that there is no 'plan B' to find another host.
Coates also said that he believes Rio is in a worse situation than Athens, which was also beset by construction delays during the preparations for the 2004 Games, adding that in Rio, there is little co-ordination between the federal, the state government and the city - which is responsible for a lot of the construction
Stating that the situation is the worse that he has ever experienced, Coates also said that Rio is also facing social issues that also have to be addressed, along with being in a country which is also trying to deal with the FIFA World Cup coming up in a few months.
Although Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes admitted that the city has to 'accept the criticism and work hard, however, local Games organisers pointed out they were moving in the right direction and just need to focus on the work to be done and on 'engaging with society'.