IOC Inspector: Rio de Janeiro 'ready to welcome the world'

(Photo: The Associated Press)RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The head inspector for the IOC says she's confident the Rio de Janeiro Olympics are "ready to welcome the world" with the games opening in less than four weeks.

Nawal El Moutawakel visited the city over the weekend and, in a statement from the International Olympic Committee on Monday, she says: "I cannot imagine more spectacular backdrops for the world's top sportsmen and women to showcase their talents to a watching world."

Rio has been beset by a long list of problems: the Zika epidemic, rising violence and security risks, severe water pollution and slow ticket sales. In addition, the county is in its worst recession since the 1930s and…