Rio Olympics preparations to intensify with 22 test events

With six months to go until the start of the Olympic Games, another 22 test events will be staged to warm up the city for the sporting extravaganza.

According to Rio 2016 official website, two most exciting competitions of the 22 test events will have tickets for sale. The first one, the FINA Diving World Cup, will bring together the sport's global swimming elite from February 19 to 24 at Maria Lenk Aquatics Center. There will be 272 athletes from 49 countries and regions competing for 92 Olympic places, in 18 individual events and five synchronised events, Xinhua reported on Friday.

In April, it will be gymnastics' turn when the test event doubles up as the final qualifying competition: 284 athletes in the sport's three disciplines (artistic, rhythmic and trampoline) will come together at Rio Olympic Arena from 19 to 22 April in pursuit of the last places at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The diving and gymnastics competitions are just a small part of what is to come, at a faster pace than ever. The next 22 test events will take place in just four months, whereas the first 23 Aquece Rio (Rio Warms Up) competitions were held over seven months (without counting the first sailing test event, in August 2014).