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International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates on Tuesday slammed Rio de Janeiro's preparations for the 2016 Olympics, saying they are "the worst I have experienced."

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SOUNDBITE: (English) John Coates, IOC vice-president:

"I think this is a worse situation than Athens. In Athens we were dealing with one government and some city responsibilities, here there are three. And then, this is against a city that has got social issues that also have to be addressed, a city that's also trying to... and a country... that has to deal with the FIFA World Cup which is coming up in a few months. So there's a number of things they're doing. And it's difficult... from my experience it's the worst that I've experienced. But again, we just have to make it happen, and that's the IOC's approach. I mean, you can't walk away from this. And if this comes off, (the) first Games on the South American continent, in a magical city in so many ways, it will be a wonderful experience for the athletes - but we just have to make sure it's the right environment for the athletes."