The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was “satisfied with the progress that has been made” towards staging the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as the seventh visit of its Coordination Commission (CoCom) to the city ended on Wednesday (October 1). The IOC highlighted advances in venue construction, the strong commitment shown by government authorities and efforts to engage the public.

After three days of meetings, presentations by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and its partners, and visits to venue sites, the IOC stressed that the schedule remains tight, but said “the Rio team clearly demonstrated that they had the situation under control”.

Coordination Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel said: “We leave Rio satisfied with the progress that has been made since our visit last March. The strong commitment of the Brazilian authorities to the success of the Rio 2016 Games has been underlined by the presence of President Dilma Rousseff during our visit to the Olympic Park. We remain confident that, despite a very tight schedule, our Brazilian partners will deliver successful Games.”

In a press release, the IOC noted that preparations for the Games had been boosted by “a successful winter in Brazil” that included the FIFA World Cup, Rio 2016’s first test event, the Rio 2016 World Press Briefing and the Rio 2016 World Broadcasters Meeting.

The commission visited the Olympic Golf Course, Olympic and Paralympic Village, Deodoro Olympic Park and Barra Olympic Park.

El Moutawakel added: “As we enter the final two years of preparations, we are able to see that the core works are progressing at full speed, particularly in venue construction, where we have been receiving solid development reports. We were able to see first-hand the advancements being made. Rio 2016 has begun to engage in earnest with the public this winter and we were able to take stock of what has already been done. We were pleased to hear that this engagement will continue with upcoming events like ticket sign-up, the mascot launch, the Cultural Olympiad and test events.”

The IOC recognised that Rio 2016 was “advancing full speed ahead” in its planning for the 44 test events that will be staged between July 2015 and May 2016 in order to help prepare for the Games, and said the commission had looked closely at these plans with the organising committee.

The Coordination Commission visited Barra Olympic Park with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (Photo: Rio2016/Alexandre Loureiro)

With Rio working hard to ensure there is enough accommodation for all the guests that will come to the city for the Games, the IOC said “very clear and reassuring information was provided to the commission that the 68 new hotels under construction were on track”.

The commission also heard from Brazilian Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, Governor Luiz Fernando Pezão and General Fernando Azevedo E Silva, the President of the Olympic Public Authority (APO), about the legacy that the Games are leaving. The authorities said that for every Brazilian real spent on venue construction, five reals are being spent on legacy projects including three bus rapid transit lines, a new metro line, sanitation improvements, better flood control, a city operations centre and the regeneration of the port area.

The group underlined the fiscally responsible approach that was being taken, with a large part of the overall infrastructure and legacy budgets being financed by private funds. They also spoke about their commitment to deliver the venues on time with no ‘white elephants’.

Carlos Nuzman, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee President, said: “Our commitment to our mission of organising excellent Games with memorable celebrations remains intact. With the IOC’s guidance and the help of our sponsors, we have the confidence we need. It is very rewarding when we look around and see our partners from the city, state and federal governments building the Games with us.”