‘Rio de Janeiro ready to welcome the world’

Olympic committee has deficit of up to $151mln — source

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 12, (Agencies): The head inspector for the IOC says she’s confident the trouble-plagued Rio de Janeiro Olympics are “ready to welcome the world” with the games opening in just under four weeks.

“I cannot imagine more spectacular backdrops for the world’s top sportsmen and women to showcase their talents to a watching world,” Nawal El Moutawakel said in a statement from the International Olympic Committee on Monday.

Rio has been beset by a long list of problems: the Zika epidemic, rising violence and security risks, severe water pollution and slow ticket sales. In addition, the county is in its worst recession since the 1930s and the impeachment trial of president Dilma Rousseff is set to begin just days after the Olympics end.

El Moutawakel was in Rio over the weekend, taking her last look at Olympic venues. She called the venues “stunning” and pointed out that Rio has hosted 44 test events to prepare for South America’s first Olympics.

She also said the delayed subway line extension, linking the Ipanema and Copacabana beach area to the western suburb or Barra da Tijuca, would be ready for the games. State officials have said the line will be running on Aug 1, four days before the games open on Aug 5. This file photo taken on Aug 6, 2015 shows Russia’s Vitalina Simonova competing in a preliminary heat of the women’s 200m breaststroke swimming event at

the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan. (AFP)