Rio must keep up the pace in Games preparations: IOC

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro must keep up the pace of delivery if it is to complete venues before scheduled Olympic test events as it enters "the most intense period of preparations," the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday. With just under a year and half to go before the Summer Olympic Games in 2016, certain venues are cutting it very fine, Nawal El Moutawakel, IOC Coordination Commission Chairperson, said during a visit to check on progress. "Sites like the golf course, sites like the velodrome and the equestrian cross-country have very aggressive timelines in order to be ready for the test events," she told reporters. "Rio is entering the most intense period of preparations. A period where Rio must reach a new level of detail," she added. Rio is holding 21 test events, the majority of which are scheduled for the second half of this year. The equestrian cross country is due to take place in August and the golf in November. The track cycling is scheduled for March 2016. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer, editing by Ed Osmond)