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An Olympics chief has promised to have a swim in the waters around Rio - despite claims they will still be riddled with sewage at the 2016 Games.

Former Moroccan hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel, 53, of the International Olympic Committee, offered to take a dip in Guanabara Bay.

The venue has been slammed by competitors from windsurfing and sailing competitions who claimed there was raw sewage, discarded furniture and even dead bodies floating there.

The claims span the past two years of preparations at the site, including some trial events for Brazil’s top sailors. But El Moutawakel, President of the IOC Coordination Commission, said: “We’ll swim in the bay. I propose that we all go swimming there.”

(Image: Getty)

She was responding to a question about whether when asked if she would enter the waters during a fact finding visit to the city.

IOC executive director Christophe Dubi stressed the bay would be tested for bacteria, but not viruses.

He said: “The test for bacteria is the most appropriate here and we will continue to use it.

“The result of the tests to date, is that water quality is safe for athletes.

(Image: Matthew Stockman/Getty)

“It is hard to measure. The main goal is to deliver a playing field with good conditions of water quality for the athletes.

"The important thing is that monitoring and the clean-up programmes will continue until the Games and after the Games.”

The pledge came after competitors at the recent Junior Rowing Championship fell ill. Organisers stressed it was down to nervousness and travel sickness, not water quality.

The only competitor to fall in had not fallen ill, and the IOC stressed they were happy with the venue.

(Image: Getty)

El Moutawakel, who was 400 metres hurdle champion at the 1984 Olympics, said: “I am very proud and happy to see the high level of preparation.

"Brazilians should be proud of the test events. I did not see any problem.

“It is fantastic to see the facilities of the Olympic Park become reality six years after the Games were awarded.

“The support of the population, despite the political and economic crisis, is important.

"We are aware of the problems, which the country is going through, but we have had support from the people.”

(Image: Getty)

But the IOC stressed thousands of contracts, and around 150,000 accreditations all need to be agreed, and thousands of employees hired over the coming 12 months.

When Rio was awarded the games in 2009, it promised cleaning its waters would be an Olympic legacy.

But Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes has repeatedly acknowledged this will not be done, calling it a ‘lost opportunity’.