Rowing teams training on the lake on August 5, 2015. (Xinhua file photo/Xu Zijian)

 
Wednesday will mark the start of the 100-day countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Xinhua looks at the progress of preparations so far, and identifies key challenges facing organizers ahead of the opening ceremony on August 5.

GAMES ORGANIZATION

Unlike the World Cup in Brazil two years ago, the Rio Olympics have mostly escaped controversy about venue delays.

Organizers say sports facilities are 98% complete overall with only the velodrome running late. Problems in laying the velodrome's surface forced the cancellation of a track cycling test event last month, but Rio 2016 chief Carlos Nuzman said the venue is only a fortnight behind schedule. The tennis center is also only 90% complete although Rio officials have said it is progressing on time.

Also unlike the World Cup, there has been no public backlash towards the Olympics from Brazilians.

In a recent press release, the IOC said 70% of Rio residents were in favor of hosting the mega-event, showing that "local citizens see the Games as a positive element in the development of their city and country."

Despite the encouraging progress of preparations, the IOC's coordination commission warned that the most testing part of Rio's Olympic build-up was yet to come.

"The last stretch is always the hardest," commission chairwoman Nawal El Moutawakel said after the body's final pre-Games visit to the city earlier this month. "During the operational phase that we are entering now, there are thousands of details still to manage, and their timely resolution will make the difference between an average Games and a great Games."

POLITICAL CRISIS, RECESSION

Brazil's lower house last week voted to impeach President Dilma Rousseff for her alleged manipulation of government accounts. The motion against her has now been passed to the senate, which could decide in favor of an investigation into the claims as early as next month.

That would force Rousseff to step aside for at least 180 days, raising the prospect that her deputy, Michel Temer, will lead the government during the Olympics.

The political turbulence comes amid a sprawling corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras and a deepening recession that threatens to erode Brazil's social and economic gains made under Rousseff's predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The beginnings of the crisis were evident during the lead up to the 2014 World Cup, when millions of Brazilians marched through major cities to protest against stadium costs, corruption and shoddy public services.

CITY INFRASTRUCTURE

While most of Rio's Olympic sports venues are on track to be completed on time, there have been concerns about delays to new transport links, particularly a new subway line connecting the city to Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca.

Hundreds of engineers and laborers are working around the clock to complete the project before its July 1 deadline.

According to the government, the line will transport more than 300,000 people a day and greatly reduce traffic congestion in the city's south and west.

Infrastructure concerns heightened last week when an elevated bicycle track collapsed into the sea, killing at least two people.

The incident prompted Rio mayor Eduardo Paes to return early from a visit to Greece for the Olympic torch lighting ceremony. Upon his arrival he described the accident as "unacceptable" and promised a full investigation.

SECURITY

The government has said it will deploy some 38,000 armed forces during the Games, backed up by 48,000 police and firefighters. The security operation is about twice the size of that used for the London Games in 2012.

Despite a commitment to ensuring the safety of athletes, officials and tourists, the government last month cut its Olympic security budget by 550 million US dollars.

Officials said the move would mainly impact investments that are not directly related to the Games, such as an urban pacification unit within the Mare shanty town complex in Rio's north.

Plans to establish the unit before the Games have now been postponed to an undefined date.

Late last year the government announced it was liaising with international intelligence agencies to quell the threat of terrorist attacks during the Games.

POLLUTION

Earlier this month IOC chief Thomas Bach guaranteed the Games would be safe for sailing events despite concerns about water quality in Rio's Guanabara Bay.

The Rio government has admitted it won't be able to meet a 2009 pledge to reduce pollution in the bay by 80% ahead of the Games.

But officials say a vast network of nets, known as eco-barriers, have been strategically placed to prevent rubbish and waste entering the bay.

A fleet of eco-boats will also be used to scoop up trash from the water's surface.

Concerns have also been raised about water quality at the Rodrigo de Freitas lake, which will host rowing and canoeing events. The government said a cleanup operation of the lake had ensured it will meet international standards for the events.

LEGACY

As part of Rio's Olympic legacy pledge, many venues built for the Games will be turned into public schools, sports facilities and leisure centers.

Organizers say the Games will improve the quality of life for Rio's citizens through infrastructure works like new public transport links and better waste management.

In addition, thousands of people will benefit from job training, creating pathways for new careers.

According to IOC president Thomas Bach, the greatest legacy could be the healing of wounds inflicted by political and economic troubles.

"Despite the difficulties that Brazil faces, the flame is an eternal reminder that we are all part of the same humanity," Bach said during the torch-lighting ceremony in Greece last week. "That will be the great legacy for the Rio Games for Brazil and the world."