Aust chief says Rio team avoids delays

There's a bit to do in Rio according to Australia's chef de mission Kitty Chiller but she reckons they'll still be a great Games.

Australian Olympic Chef de Mission

Australia's chef de mission Kitty Chiller has warned the Olympic organisers face tight deadlines. (AAP)

With 100 days to go until the Olympic opening ceremony, Australia's chef de mission Kitty Chiller says Rio is racing the clock but is confident it won't affect our team.

She said the International Olympic Committee had recognised the looming deadlines and more than a dozen IOC officials would join the local organising committee from May 1 to ensure they were met.

"There's a lot to do and it's going to come down to the wire," Chiller said.

"They are there to make sure the roads are finished, the transport, the infrastructure, hotels - there's a lot of challenges there but we're confident with the IOC embedded in it they have every chance on putting on a great Games."

The venues are complete except for the velodrome, which will not be ready in time for an official test event, and the athletics stadium, where the running track is being laid.

Officials say both will be finished well before the Games begin on August 5.

While the venues are mostly complete, the country's president Dilma Rousseff is fighting impeachment and the economy on track for its worst recession in more than a century.

This has meant some cutbacks - with temporary seating at some venues axed and no televisions in the athletes' rooms.

An outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in hundreds of children in northern Brazil, has caused widespread panic and prompted some fans and even athletes to consider skipping the Games.

Chiller said those within the "Olympic bubble" such as athletes and coaches wouldn't be affected by the delay in preparations as much as spectators and media.

Chiller said the athletes' village was first rate although she did have concerns about the patchy wifi throughout the city which many people relied on for communication and entertainment.

"I was there five weeks ago and the athletes' village is fantastic," Chiller said.

"We're very happy with our Australian allotment and it's going to be a fantastic environment for the athletes.

Australia is set to send a team of 440 athletes, surpassing the London squad of 410, with the representation on track to be younger and less experienced.

Of the 126 athletes already confirmed, 60 are aged under 25 while 80 will make their Olympic debuts.

While a US analyst has predicted a top four finish for Australia, which would match the team's performance in Atlanta in 2004 and Sydney in 2000, Chiller said a top-five finish remained the goal.

"We are confident that all the work since London on a high-performance focus and a united team will pay off," she said.

"It's an aspirational goal; if all athletes do their personal best ... we have a very good shot of getting in the top five."


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Source: AAP



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