Rio 2016 organizers slammed
Neymar: Protests must be peaceful
Brazilian army patrolling Rio de Janeiro
World Cup highlights prostitution crisis
Brazil sells Rio airport for $8.3 billion
Will Rio be ready for World Cup?
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Rio 2016 organizers slammed over Olympic preparations
April 29, 2014 -- Updated 1953 GMT (0353 HKT)
The International Olympic Committee has raised concerns over Brazil's preparations to host the 2016 Games.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Rio de Janeiro set to host 2016 Games
- IOC vice-president says situation on the ground is "critical"
- John Coates says state of preparation worse than Athens in 2004
- Brazil currently preparing to host 2014 World Cup
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(CNN) -- Brazil is waiting to welcome the world for
the biggest football tournament on the planet -- but has it taken its
eye off the greatest show on earth -- the Olympics?
The South American nation
was shamed Tuesday after International Olympic Vice President John
Coates claimed Rio de Janeiro's preparations for the 2016 Games was the
"worst" he had ever witnessed.
Coates, who has been
involved in the Olympics for nearly 40 years, has made six trips to Rio
as part of the commission involved in ensuring the Brazilian city is
ready to host the Games.
And while the World Cup,
which starts on June 12 may take priority, Brazil's ability to juggle
two huge events has been called into question.
"It's the worst that I've
experienced," he said in a statement ahead of a press conference in
Sydney, Australia, where he was being asked about preparations for 2016.
"We have become very concerned. They are not ready in many, many ways.
"We have to make it happen and that is the IOC approach. You can't walk away from this."
Coates revealed Tuesday
that the IOC has taken "unprecedented" action by placing experts in the
local organizing committee to ensure the Games go ahead.
But in a statement issued
Tuesday, the Rio organizing committee insisted the city will host an
"excellent Games that will be delivered absolutely within the agreed
timelines and budget."
The committee also cited
the recent announcement of the budget for both infrastructure and
legacy projects, as well as the tender process for Olympic Park venues,
as signs of progress.
The statement added:
"The time has now passed when general discussions about the progress of
preparations contribute to the journey towards the Games.
"The work being
undertaken in partnership with the three levels of government --
federal, state and city -- is delivering progress.
"The support of the
International Olympic Committee is also crucial. We have a historic
mission: to organize the first Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil
and in South America. We are going to achieve this."
Ongoing concerns have prompted the IOC to agree to increase the frequency of visits -- led by Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli -- and establish dedicated task forces.
Rio organizers announced earlier this month that Brazil will spend 24.1 billion reais ($10.8 billion) on infrastructure projects to ensure the Games are delivered on time.
City mayor Eduardo Paes
also stated that he was looking forward to Felli's visit saying that
there was "no reason for concern" and that the "Olympic Park has nothing
delayed."
But Coates says the
delays in construction and the lack of information available means the
current state in Rio is worse than that seen in Athens in 2004.
Neymar: Protests must be peaceful
Brazilian army patrolling Rio de Janeiro
World Cup highlights prostitution crisis
"The IOC has adopted a more hands-on role," said Coates.
"It is unprecedented for the IOC but there is no Plan B. We are going to Rio."
But in a statement sent to CNN late Tuesday, the IOC appeared to play down Coates' comments.
"Working together with our partners in Rio we have put in place a number of measures to support the Games," said the statement.
"Mr Felli has received a
very positive response on the ground in the past few days, and a number
of recent developments show that things are moving in the right
direction.
"Now is a time to look
forward to work together and to deliver great Games for Rio, Brazil and
for the world, and not to engage in discussion of the past.
"We continue to believe that Rio is capable of providing outstanding Games."
The lead up to the
Athens Games 10 years ago was marred by construction delays and service
delivery, but the venues and infrastructure were delivered on time.
Like Athens, Rio is experiencing similar problems.
The Games, which are
being held in South America for the first time in its history, have been
beset by delays, soaring costs and bad communication.
Coates has also voiced concerns that the IOC was unable to get the reassurances needed from the local organizing committee.
"No-one is able to give answers at the moment," he said.
"Can they use the car parks in the village for recovery centers? What will be the time to take from this venue to this venue?
"All of those things, they're being fobbed off."
Coates also claimed that
only two people were working in Rio's test event department with
tournaments scheduled to start this year.
Rio 2016: WADA chief warns Brazil over Olympic construction delays
April 23, 2014 -- Updated 1557 GMT (2357 HKT)
Reedie concerned about Rio 2016 drug lab
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- President of World Anti-Doping Agency raises concerns over Rio 2016 testing
- Rio lab lost WADA accreditation last August for being inefficient says Craig Reedie
- Reedie calls on Brazil's government to provide proper funding for drug-testing facility
- Brazil 2016 organizers pumping in extra $10.8 billion for infrastructure projects
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(CNN) -- Conducting effective drug testing on site
at the 2016 Olympic Games will be hard to implement if construction
delays in Rio de Janeiro continue, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has warned.
Craig Reedie, who replaced John Fahey as WADA president in January, told CNN that repeating the stringency and efficiency of the London 2012 Games will be a real challenge.
"It's going to be
difficult to replicate in Rio the system that was put in place with the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and UK Anti-Doping," Reedie told
CNN World Sport.
"(The facility and
systems) worked beautifully and that's because the national anti-doping
organization was very, very good. In Rio, we couldn't say that at the
moment ... they don't have a laboratory. Their laboratory lost its
accreditation because clearly it was inefficient."
Brazil sells Rio airport for $8.3 billion
Will Rio be ready for World Cup?
WADA suspended testing at the Brazilian city's LADETEC laboratory last August after it failed to meet the organization's International Standard for Laboratories (ISL).
The implications of that
suspension have already been felt by football's world governing body
FIFA which, as a result, will be transporting players' blood and urine
samples to Lausanne in Switzerland during the World Cup which starts in
Sao Paulo on June 12.
Construction blunders and
delays have blighted the buildup to football's showpiece, while
concerns over Rio's Olympic facilities are mounting by the day -- a
two-week strike over pay and conditions by more than 2,000 Olympic Park
workers ended Thursday.
Ongoing concerns have prompted the IOC to agree to increase the frequency of visits -- led by IOC Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli -- and establish dedicated task forces.
Rio organizers announced Wednesday that Brazil will spend 24.1 billion reais ($10.8 billion) on infrastructure projects to ensure the Games are delivered on time.
This is a government problem. It's up to them to develop and fund
their National Anti-Doping Organization and their laboratory ..."
WADA chief, Craig Reedie
WADA chief, Craig Reedie
Earlier in the week,
Rio's mayor Eduardo Paes said he looked forward to Felli's visit saying
that there was "no reason for concern" and that the "Olympic Park has
nothing delayed."
Reedie did not write off
the city's prospects of delivering first class drug-testing facilities
on time, pointing to the fact that the suspended organization is
currently being re-established and a new building is nearing completion.
But more needs to be done, he said.
"Too often they think of
the building being the important thing. Well that's only one thing,"
said the former chairman of the British Olympic Association.
"You actually need to
put the proper equipment in it and then above all you need to put the
proper people in it. And you then have to work up the proper standards
so you can get it accredited again."
LADETEC has yet to respond to CNN's request for comment.
Reedie isn't pushing the panic button just yet, but called on Brazil's lawmakers to take responsibility.
"This isn't really an organizing committee problem. This is a government problem," he said.
"It's up to them to
develop and fund their national anti-doping organization and their
laboratory. If they do that, yes it can be done.
"If they don't and it slips, it's a problem."
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