RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) The head of the International Olympic Committee inspection team says that preparations for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics have made ''a lot of progress'' in the last six months.
Nawal El Moutawakel, who ended a three-day visit to Rio on Wednesday, said ''the schedule remains tight'' - but she was upbeat in nearly all her comments. This contrasts sharply with the situation a few months ago when one IOC member called the preparations the ''worst'' in recent history.
The main concern is hotel rooms. She said 68 hotels were under construction in Rio, which she termed ''a challenge.''
Nawal said 44 test events must be held before the games, with construction on a tight schedule at the main Olympic Park and the second cluster in Deodoro in northern Rio.
