The IOC Coordination Commission yesterday "began its fourth visit" to Rio de Janeiro to "meet with local organizers and monitor the progress made at venues and infrastructure sites for the first Olympics in South America," according to Tales Azzoni of the AP. IOC President Jacques Rogge last week said that he "doesn’t think he will need to show Rio organizers a yellow card to publicly warn them about delays, but Brazil is under pressure to show that preparations are on track." With three years to go until the '16 Olympics, there has been "some concern with the pace of progress in Rio’s preparations." The Rio committee has a "newly appointed CEO and just made changes in the position of chief financial officer, and there’s still no official budget for the games." The city also "hasn’t overcome uncertainty over the venues for rugby, field hockey and golf." ROCOG President Carlos Nuzman "recently downplayed the notion of delays or any major problems related to the city’s preparations." The commission’s three-day trip will "focus on Rio’s preparations, though, and it will be led by" Commission president Nawal El Moutawakel and IOC Exec Dir Gilbert Felli (AP, 2/18).
