GUATEMALA CITY - Preparations for next year's Beijing Olympics received rave reviews on Thursday from the International Olympic Committee, which described progress as "excellent".

The IOC's chief inspector for the Beijing Games, Hein Verbruggen, said solid foundations were in place for a successful Olympics.

"Excellent progress has been made across the board," Verbruggen told an IOC session in Guatemala City following a presentation by the Beijing Games organisers (BOCOG).

"The venues took our breath away," he added.

"All the venues are spectacular and will offer a very, very powerful backdrop to the Games."

Verbruggen said organisers also had an unprecedented sponsorship programme and ticket sales would be strong.

Organisers and the city were doing their best to tackle pollution. China's rapid economic growth has put a strain on the environment and raised major concerns.

"Clearly, as a sports organisation, we want to be assured that the world's athletes will compete under proper environmental conditions," Verbruggen said.

Organisers this summer will try out several contingency plans to reduce air pollution, including pulling 1 million cars off the streets, plans which could be put in place next year if necessary.