Rio 2016 Olympics on track, says IOC

The IOC committee stressed that the schedule for the games remained tight but "on track"

The International Olympic Committee says it is satisfied with the progress made by the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in its preparations for the 2016 Olympics.

Less than six months ago, a senior IOC official criticised Rio's preparations as the worst in living memory.

The IOC inspection team chair, Nawal El Moutawakel, said the construction of hotel rooms and of Olympic venues were "on track".

But she said "the schedule was tight".

At the end of their three-day visit to Rio, Ms El Moutawakel said their main concern had been hotel rooms and the pace of building the Olympic sports venues.

She said 68 hotels were under construction in Rio, which she called " a challenge" for the city.

But she said, "I think Rio will experience a full transformation. The games will have an impact on the population and on the entire country. "

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff visited the Olympic Park alongside members of the IOC and the local Olympic committee

In a press release, the IOC said 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 IOC said the schedule remained tight but "the Rio team clearly demonstrated that they had the situation under control".