Despite Rio organizers deploying 630 people to work around the clock to ensure that the 3600 apartments in the Athlete Village will be ready in less than 2 weeks, more nations are expressing concern and dissatisfaction with the cleanliness and safety of the 2016 Olympic Games accommodations.
Australia was the first nation to get vocal about plumbing problems, electrical and cleaning issues its team encountered upon arriving at the Athletes Village in Rio on July 21st. Staying in nearby hotels due to their concerns, the Australian Olympic team is now set to move onto the Rio campus this week.
But, Spain, Belarus and Venezuela are now taking the displeased tone with Rio organizers. According to GloboEsporte.com, Spain only has a few athletes in Rio, but the entire delegation is set to arrive this Friday, July 29th. Their residents in Rio report ‘showers with only cold water, dirt on the received rooms and apartments’ among other issues. As with the Aussies, Spanish athletes have had to occupy another building of the Village until conditions improve.
Said the source speaking to GloboEsporte.com, “It’s sad, outside the village seems all ready, but actually inside are missing many things. The main problems are leaks in toilets, clogging the vessels, and problems of locks in the locks. Because of this, our head of mission is already in contact with the Rio 2016 Committee and President Nuzman said he will put everything on time.”
As for Venezuela, its delegation were met with ‘plumbing and electrical problems, leaks and dust from lack of cleanliness’. The nation’s Chef de Mission, Joseba Barreda, said that the first Venezuelan athletes scheduled to arrive in the village tomorrow may be delayed 48 hours to enable the problems to be rectified.
Of Rio organizers’ efforts to dispatch enough workers to get everything done in time, Barreda states, “the number [of workers] is insufficient for the amount of work remaining to be done. Everything is going slowly. Really has not been the best way to start.”
Reports on the Belarusian National Olympic Committee also list issues with hot water supplies, sewage system and overall cleanliness as issues its arriving squad is encountering. The Committee has stated, “there remains much for the Rio organizing committee to do so that the living conditions meet sanitary requirements.”
Below are photos posted on the Belarusian National Olympic Committee website:
Olympic Village Floor, courtesy of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus
Olympic Village window, courtesy of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus
Update since original publishing: A representative from the NOC Belarus says that “Now the apartments of the Belarusian team all working properly.”