1ST LEAD IOC: Rio Games a success despite problems By Martin Romanczyk, dpa

Lausanne, Switzerland (dpa) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday hailed the recent Rio Games as a success despite some difficulties and the ongoing shadow cast by the Russian doping scandal."From an organizational point of view, the Games worked," Christophe Dubi, IOC general director for the Olympic Games, said. "Were they perfect? No."The comments were made on the first day of a three-day long executive board meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland."These were the most seen Games ever," marketing director Timo Lumme said, reflecting on the event which was viewed on digital platforms and social networks along with television.The Rio Games took place in August with Brazil experiencing political and economic crisis but generally ran smoothly despite teething issues.There were problems with transport and volunteers but the IOC maintains, despite the costs involved of hosting the Olympics, there will be a long-term legacy for Rio through venues and infrastructure improvements.On the sporting side, there were more than 100 world or Olympic records to celebrate while in addition to superstar performances from the likes of Usain Bolt and Mo Farah, Kosovo made its Games debut and there was a first-ever Refugee Team.