The Evaluation Committee of the IOC paid a visit on Wednesday to the site of the stadium that will be used for the 2016 Olympic Games if they choose the Spanish capital to host.

The Evaluation Committee, which is visiting all of the cities that are competing to host the 2016 Games, arrived in Madrid on Monday.

Wednesday saw them visiting the venues for the various Olympic events. They arrived at the La Peineta Stadium in the east of Madrid in the morning.

La Peinta is already undergoing work to convert it into a stadium with capacity for 73,000 spectators and from 2012 it will be the home ground of the Atletico Madrid football club.

The members of the Evaluation Committee were accompanied by Alberto Ruiz Gallardon, the mayor of Madrid and Mercedes Coghan, the Director General of the Madrid 2016 Olympic bid.

They were welcomed at the Peineta by Atletico Madrid players Diego Forlan, Kun Aguero and Maxi Rodriguez.

On Tuesday night the Evaluation Committee received the official welcome of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero who highlighted the advanced state of preparation in the city's infrastructure.

"Seventy-seven percent of the sporting infrastructure needed is already constructed and in conditions to be used," Zapatero said.

"This bid is a candidacy of unity between the city, the region and the central government and we have the success of the 1992 Games in Barcelona as a guarantee of success," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2009)