ATHENS, Greece -- Athens organizers assured the IOC on Tuesday that delayed construction projects will be ready in time for test events before the 2004 Olympics.

Delays already have forced organizers to reschedule several pre-Olympic competitions held to fine-tune facilities. They include softball and wrestling.

IOC officials want such events held at their Olympic venues. Organizers said they presented the IOC with a calendar that has the competitions taking place at the original locations. Dates apparently will have to be shifted to accommodate delays.

IOC members, headed by Denis Oswald, began a three-day inspection visit Tuesday that is expected to focus on construction delays. They also will review preparations in sports, marketing, the budget, volunteers and construction of the Olympic and media villages.

Also, IOC security experts met with Greek officials and colleagues from seven other countries advising the government.

Organizers said the government gave IOC officials a guarantee that a glass-and-steel stadium roof will be ready in time. That project was severely delayed and there are fears it may interfere with test events at the main Olympic complex.

Organizers said construction in other parts of the Olympic complex will also start by next week. That project encompasses areas outside the stadium, including restaurants, spectator areas and a main promenade.

Another problem is a seaside sports complex at Athens' former Hellenikon airport, where just 12 percent of the work has been completed. Construction of the basketball facility has been held up for months by legal disputes, while work on the whitewater course began only recently.