Rio de Janeiro: International Olympic Committee vice-president and Australian Olympic chief John Coates has described Rio's Games as "the most difficult we have ever encountered".
The pointed take follows his stinging declaration, in April 2014, that the host city's preparations were "the worst" he'd experienced; topping Athens in 2004.
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The Russian doping hornets nest aside, myriad off-field issues have marred Rio's Games, from minor problems with food supplies at competition venues to the genuinely alarming damage inflicted on an official media bus travelling between Deodoro and the main press centre that left three passengers injured.
Games organisers said on Thursday the release of a report that would prove the damage was caused by stones is imminent. The IOC and Rio authorities are insisting that security is a priority and that military protection has been increased around the city and Games venues.
![Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has described the Rio games as 'difficult'.](/web/20160812033604im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/1/1/e/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqqpko.png/1470944433390.jpg)
Before the bus incident a bullet landed in the media centre at the equestrian, and a second bullet was discovered at the venue on Thursday.
"It's been very difficult, the most difficult Games we have ever encountered in terms of political and economic background," Coates has told the BBC.
"Seven years ago when they (Rio) were selected, they were on the verge of being a top five GDP nation in the world. They're 74th now and it's been a struggle."
Between Coates and Australian chef de mission Kitty Chiller, Australia has not been shy in coming forward with its problems in Rio.
![The bullet which landed inside the media centre at the Olympic Equestrian Centre.](/web/20160812033604im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/m/q/e/3/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqqpko.png/1470944433390.jpg)
The team's move into the athletes' village was halted; the view of Australian bosses being that facilities were not ready.
At that juncture, Coates lamented what he considered stunning failures on the very basics.
"We have had problems before. But these were extraordinary problems," he said.
"They came as a very great surprise to me because, as far as we understood, the village had been handed over to the organising committee a few months ago, and clearly they hadn't done their due diligence and checked every unit in every building."