With the knock-out phase due to be staged at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, the announcement means the water polo tournament will be contested entirely in the main venue cluster, Barra Olympic Park.

The preliminary matches were originally scheduled for the Julio De Lamare Aquatics Centre, next to the Maracanã Stadium, but it was decided to relocate them after a review of Games projects with the International Olympic Committee last May.

After considering the Deodoro Aquatics Centre, which will host the swimming section of modern pentathlon, it is claimed Rio 2016 and the International Swimming Federation agreed at the end of last year that the Maria Lenk was the best option.

The preliminary matches are due to be played between August 6 and 14, with the knock-out phase starting on August 15 and ending with the men's medal matches on August 20.

With diving and synchronised swimming also taking place in the Maria Lenk, and swimming being held in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, four of the five aquatics disciplines will be staged in Barra Olympic Park.

"With three sports at the Maria Lenk, we are optimising our financial, planning and operational resources in one place, in addition to offering the spectator a better experience, with a concentration of the aquatic sports," said Rio 2016 executive sport director Agberto Guimarães.

The Rio de Janeiro City Government claimed in December that the Barra Olympic Park is 95 per cent complete.

It had been stated earlier last year that the Brazilian city faced a "race against time" to be ready for this summer's Olympics and Paralympics but the Government, who are project managing construction at the Olympic Parks in Barra and Deodoro, released figures which they said show "strong progress".

The Olympic Aquatics Stadium was ranked at 96 per cent complete.