Wednesday 3 August 2016 23:43, UK
IAAF president Sebastian Coe predicts the Rio Olympics will be a success despite the troubled run-up to the event.
Doping, the spread of the Zika virus, the troubled Brazilian economy, delays to the completion of the venues and problems with the athletes village have all made headlines ahead of the 2016 Games, whose opening ceremony takes place on Friday night.
But Coe says all host cities, including London four years ago, have felt similar pressures close to the start of competition and he expects everything to go smoothly and, possibly more importantly, success to continue when legacy kicks in after the athletes depart.
"I think these Games will be successful and will engender the right spirit, and once the sport begins people will focus on the extraordinary human endeavour that goes to make up the Games," Coe told Sky News' Paul Kelso.
"But the challenge will come after the Games and it will come within days.
"How do those constituent bodies come together, agree the roles and responsibilities, and create systems and structures that work and give clean athletes reassurance that we are not just talking about it, but doing something about it.
"Whoever won the right to stage these Games would have faced challenges. Everyone does. But they've done a pretty decent job against a backdrop of a really tough economy that has caused serious difficulties, and the political fragility," he said.
"I came here about 80 days ago for a test event and they were doing pretty well. The athletes were happy, there was a bit of work to do on the venue but that was the case with London too. I see it through a different optic, because I know just how bloody hard this is."
Coe, who is also chairman of the British Olympic Committee, is confident Team GB will meet medal and performance targets across the two weeks in Rio and expects the team's stars to lead from the front.
"The three picture-children are Jess [Ennis-Hill], Greg Rutherford and of course Mo Farah," he added.
"They seem to be in good form, I've watched them all compete individually a over the last few months.
"The track and field man in me wants to see them do well. But I'm also a big fan of [boxer] Nicola Adams and she's in great shape and I'm extremely excited to see her do well too."
