IOC inspectors concluded three days of observations in Rio de Janeiro, as they try to judge how well the Brazilian city is preparing for next summer's Olympiad.

Things got off to a slow start, with an IOC vice president saying almost a year ago the preparations were the worst in memory. But inspectors say they are now "impressed by progress". Despite this, Rio still faces severe problems, among which water pullution stands out.

Despite claims of trying to clean up the mess, there is little sign of progress in cleaning up the bay, as well as the lagoon system in western Rio that hugs the sites of the Olympic park, the very heart of the games.

IOC President Thomas Bach was pressed about the severe water shortages in Brazil by a group of university students during a town hall meeting. Bach was asked to justify building a golf course and a canoeing venue for the Games.

"The canoeing, the wild-water canoeing, in most of the Olympic cities then they have become actually very successful for the citizens and for tourists. They are not used just for training of the athletes. There are not millions of canoeing athletes in Brazil, that I can understand, but what other cities like Sydney, for instance, did and some others was using them then as a tourist attraction." he said.

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