Blame It On Rio

[dales]

Australian athletes won't move into Olympic Village, say it's 'unlivable'
By Katie Dowd

Published 8:19 am, Sunday, July 24, 2016



Police officers have been welcoming travelers to the international airport in Rio with banners reading "Welcome to Hell" and other slogans. Heck of a greeting, right?The police are protesting delays in government salary payments, as well as violence that has taken the lives of over 50 police officers in 2016, police say.


The violence is no empty threat: On June 29, mutilated body parts washed up on Copacabana Beach near the Olympic beach volleyball venue. It is not known how the person died.


The good news is that money is likely coming to pay the police. The bad news is that's because Rio declared a state of emergency to free up federal funding so as to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management."


Shortly after an Olympic torch ceremony on June 20 in Manaus, a jaguar used as a mascot during the occasion got loose from its handlers. A soldier shot the jaguar dead, a metaphor for the run-up to the Rio Olympics if we've ever seen one."We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016," the local organizing committee said.


The unsanitary waters off Rio are no surprise — it's been criticized for years. But what's in the water is so much worse than anyone thought. An AP investigation found that thousands of liters of raw, unfiltered human sewage pour into the ocean every second. And now, a new study revealed that drug-resistant "super bacteria" has been found in Guanabara Bay, where sailing events will take place. Photo: Silvia Izquierdo, Associated Press





Infrastructure is unsurprisingly poor at the Olympic Village too. Organizers initially planned on charging athletes to use air conditioning, something they've since backed off of.



Although they'll have air-conditioned comfort, they won't have televisions. Those are strictly bring-your-own. So hopefully the Olympians have a data plan and Netflix. Photo: Elise Amendola, Associated Press


More than 145 public health experts signed an open letter to the World Health Organization in May asking the UN to consider moving or postponing the Rio Olympics because of the threat of Zika virus. Many high-profile athletes, like golfer Rory McIlroy, have already pulled out of the Olympics due to Zika. Photo: Leo Correa, Associated Press




Activists have reported that at least 4,120 families lost their homes because of the Olympics. The report claims that thousands of families were evicted to make room for Olympic venues. Other activist groups say the Brazilian government is "cleansing" homeless children and adults in advance of massive tourist crowds.

After the first construction firm filed for bankruptcy, the Olympic velodrome venue remained unfinished ahead of a test event in March. Olympic organizers found a second company to finish construction, but the velodrome got perilously close to being unfinished at the start of the games.

Domestic ticket sales are also a disaster, albeit with less dire consequences than some other situations on this list. As of April, only half of Olympic tickets had been sold. Even worse, only 15-percent of Paralympic tickets were sold. The Brazilian government planned to give away free tickets to schoolchildren to boost crowds.


Police officers have been welcoming travelers to the international airport in Rio with banners reading "Welcome to Hell" and other slogans. Heck of a greeting, right?The police are protesting delays in government salary payments, as well as violence that has taken the lives of over 50 police officers in 2016, police say.

The violence is no empty threat: On June 29, mutilated body parts washed up on Copacabana Beach near the Olympic beach volleyball venue. It is not known how the person died.

The good news is that money is likely coming to pay the police. The bad news is that's because Rio declared a state of emergency to free up federal funding so as to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management."

Shortly after an Olympic torch ceremony on June 20 in Manaus, a jaguar used as a mascot during the occasion got loose from its handlers. A soldier shot the jaguar dead, a metaphor for the run-up to the Rio Olympics if we've ever seen one."We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016," the local organizing committee said.

The unsanitary waters off Rio are no surprise — it's been criticized for years. But what's in the water is so much worse than anyone thought. An AP investigation found that thousands of liters of raw, unfiltered human sewage pour into the ocean every second. And now, a new study revealed that drug-resistant "super bacteria" has been found in Guanabara Bay, where sailing events will take place.

Infrastructure is unsurprisingly poor at the Olympic Village too. Organizers initially planned on charging athletes to use air conditioning, something they've since backed off of.

Although they'll have air-conditioned comfort, they won't have televisions. Those are strictly bring-your-own. So hopefully the Olympians have a data plan and Netflix.

More than 145 public health experts signed an open letter to the World Health Organization in May asking the UN to consider moving or postponing the Rio Olympics because of the threat of Zika virus. Many high-profile athletes, like golfer Rory McIlroy, have already pulled out of the Olympics due to Zika.

Oh, and there's this problem too. Rio's accredited anti-doping laboratory was shut down in June for "nonconformity" to international standards. The lab lost its accreditation in 2013 and the government contributed much of the $60 million needed to re-certify in advance of the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee is now looking at labs in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City for its Olympic blood test needs.

Activists have reported that at least 4,120 families lost their homes because of the Olympics. The report claims that thousands of families were evicted to make room for Olympic venues. Other activist groups say the Brazilian government is "cleansing" homeless children and adults in advance of massive tourist crowds.

After the first construction firm filed for bankruptcy, the Olympic velodrome venue remained unfinished ahead of a test event in March. Olympic organizers found a second company to finish construction, but the velodrome got perilously close to being unfinished at the start of the games.

Domestic ticket sales are also a disaster, albeit with less dire consequences than some other situations on this list. As of April, only half of Olympic tickets had been sold. Even worse, only 15-percent of Paralympic tickets were sold. The Brazilian government planned to give away free tickets to schoolchildren to boost crowds.

The beleaguered Rio Olympics took another hit Sunday when the Australian Olympic Committee announced its athletes would not be moving into the Olympic Village due to 'unlivable' conditions.

"From what we've seen," said a spokesman from the AOC, "you wouldn't put people in there yet."

Reps from the AOC have been putting the rooms through "stress tests" to see if the newly built facilities could handle an influx of tenants. It's clear they couldn't.

"We decided to do a "stress test" where taps and toilets were simultaneously turned on in apartments on several floors to see if the system could cope once the athletes are in-house,"AOC chef de mission Kitty Chiller told the Sydney Morning Herald. "The system failed. Water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was "shorting" in the electrical wiring. "


In addition, blocked toilets, leaking pipes (some in areas with electrical wiring), a lack of light fixtures in stairwells and "dirty floors in need of a massive clean" have been identified as problems.

It's the latest in a long string of issues in Rio. The Olympic Village plans caused a stir months ago when organizers announced athletes would have to pay for air conditioning. Due to the blowback, AC was added to all rooms.

The venues have been similarly plagued. Scientists found the waters where sailors will be competing are filled with human sewage, and a dismembered body washed up on the popular beach that will soon host beach volleyball events.

The Olympics start in 12 days.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Anything worth saying is worth saying twice
Anything worth saying is worth saying twice

[Lord Jim]

Police officers have been welcoming travelers to the international airport in Rio with banners reading "Welcome to Hell"

I can see where that might be a little unsettling...

[RayThom]

That's probably great news for all the "unbanned" Russian athletes.

IOC Won't Ban All Russian Athletes from Rio Olympics:
http://www.voanews.com/content/ioc-wont ... 32578.html

[Bicycle Bill]

A soldier shot the jaguar dead, a metaphor for the run-up to the Rio Olympics if we've ever seen one.  "We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016," the local organizing committee said.

Translation — "It won't happen again; the cops killed our only jaguar."

Seriously, after about the past four or five Summer Olympiads of absolute indifference to the activities, festivities, and other foo-fa-rah I may actually pay attention to this one, if for no other reason than to see just
1) how bad it actually gets and
2) the sleight-of-hand, various illusions, and other acts of misdirection that the organizing committee is going to have to be doing to convince the TV audiences that there are really no problems and everything is hunky-dory.

-"BB"-

[Jarlaxle]

I wonder if the body count will exceed the medal count.

[dales]

Rio's waters so full of human sewage, Olympic swimmers told to keep their mouths closed


By Katie Dowd

Updated 11:44 am, Wednesday, July 27, 2016


Police officers have been welcoming travelers to the international airport in Rio with banners reading "Welcome to Hell" and other slogans. Heck of a greeting, right?The police are protesting delays in government salary payments, as well as violence that has taken the lives of over 50 police officers in 2016, police say.

The violence is no empty threat: On June 29, mutilated body parts washed up on Copacabana Beach near the Olympic beach volleyball venue. It is not known how the person died.

The good news is that money is likely coming to pay the police. The bad news is that's because Rio declared a state of emergency to free up federal funding so as to avoid "a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management."

Shortly after an Olympic torch ceremony on June 20 in Manaus, a jaguar used as a mascot during the occasion got loose from its handlers. A soldier shot the jaguar dead, a metaphor for the run-up to the Rio Olympics if we've ever seen one."We guarantee that there will be no more such incidents at Rio 2016," the local organizing committee said.

The unsanitary waters off Rio are no surprise — it's been criticized for years. But what's in the water is so much worse than anyone thought. An AP investigation found that thousands of liters of raw, unfiltered human sewage pour into the ocean every second. And now, a new study revealed that drug-resistant "super bacteria" has been found in Guanabara Bay, where sailing events will take place.

Although they'll have air-conditioned comfort, they won't have televisions. Those are strictly bring-your-own. So hopefully the Olympians have a data plan and Netflix.

More than 145 public health experts signed an open letter to the World Health Organization in May asking the UN to consider moving or postponing the Rio Olympics because of the threat of Zika virus. Many high-profile athletes, like golfer Rory McIlroy, have already pulled out of the Olympics due to Zika.

Activists have reported that at least 4,120 families lost their homes because of the Olympics. The report claims that thousands of families were evicted to make room for Olympic venues. Other activist groups say the Brazilian government is "cleansing" homeless children and adults in advance of massive tourist crowds.

After the first construction firm filed for bankruptcy, the Olympic velodrome venue remained unfinished ahead of a test event in March. Olympic organizers found a second company to finish construction, but the velodrome got perilously close to being unfinished at the start of the games.

Domestic ticket sales are also a disaster, albeit with less dire consequences than some other situations on this list. As of April, only half of Olympic tickets had been sold. Even worse, only 15-percent of Paralympic tickets were sold. The Brazilian government planned to give away free tickets to schoolchildren to boost crowds.

The unsanitary waters off Rio are no surprise — it's been criticized for years. But what's in the water is so much worse than anyone thought. An AP investigation found that thousands of liters of raw, unfiltered human sewage pour into the ocean every second.
And now, a new study revealed that drug-resistant "super bacteria" has been found in Guanabara Bay, where sailing events will take place.

Germaphobes may want to stop reading right now.

Despite years of cleanup attempts, health experts say the waters off Rio are so disgusting, Olympic marathon swimmers, sailors and windsurfers will "literally be swimming in human crap."

A battery of tests by government and independent scientists recently revealed that seven years of cleanup attempts have done little to disinfect the petri dish of Guanabara Bay. The New York Times reports that viruses that cause diarrhea are in the waters, as well as a "superbacteria that can be fatal to people with weakened immune systems."

As a result, scientists have advised Olympians interacting with the bay to keep their mouths closed to avoid ingesting the water.

Scientists say that feces from a nearby hospital and municipal sewage plant pours into the water untreated. And if that doesn't make your lunch rise in your throat, don't forget that dead bodies — animal and human — are found floating in the bay with upsetting regularity.

"It's disgusting," Nigel Cochrane, a coach for the Spanish women's sailing team, told the Times. "We're very concerned."

Last year, an AP investigation discovered the levels of disease-causing viruses were, in some places, 1.7 million times higher than what are considered dangerous in Southern California beaches. During a surfing competition held in Rio last year, organizers say that a quarter of the participants suffered from nausea, diarrhea or vomiting after entering the water.

A German Paralympic sailor also said a teammate had a "severe skin infection" after contact with the water in training.

This, of course, is a ongoing human health crisis for the hundreds of thousands of Brazilians who have long lived with Rio's terrible sanitation standards. A public health expert told the AP that Rio's sewage system is "comparable with London or Paris................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. in the 14th or 15th century."

[dales]

Chinese athlete Shi Dongpeng fell victim to a gastrointestinal grift earlier this week shortly after arriving in Rio de Janeiro to compete in the 110-meter hurdles event, according to Inside the Games:


According to the International Sport Press Association (AIPS), the man then vomited over Shi, who went to clean himself up while the cameraman chased the man out of the hotel.

When they returned, all of the camerman’s equipment had been stolen, as well as baggage belonging to both men.

Surveillance footage showed that they had been the victims of a cleverly organised professional job in which they had been distracted by the apparent drunk.

When the two tried to report the theft to Rio police, they found a two-hour wait due a long line of other people reporting having been mugged.

[dales]

Now the water in the pools has turned GREEN!

[Long Run]

[quote="dales"]Now the water in the pools has turned GREEN!

The water in the diving tank is envious of the swimming pool water.

[dales]

RIO DE JANEIRO — Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers were held up at gunpoint early Sunday morning.


Reached by USA TODAY Sports on Sunday morning, his mother Ileana Lochte said that her son was robbed but is unharmed.

“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte said. “No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”

Patrick Sandusky, spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, released a statement with details of the incident, although an International Olympic Committee spokesman initially called reports of the incident "absolutely not true."

“According to four members of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team (Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte), they left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic Village," Sandusky said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. "Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.”

Ileana Lochte said her son had his wallet taken but that was it. He notified her via text message afterward.

Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, won one gold medal here in Rio as part of the 4x200 freestyle relay. He has been done competing in the Games since Thursday, and the Olympic swimming competition ended Saturday night

[MajGenl.Meade]

Russian swimmers in synchronized robbery shock horror!



"Nyet! No shootski!"

[Big RR]

Hey Dales, has the IOC admitted that the robbery occurred yet?

[dales]

Yes.

[Big RR]

Well bless their hearts.

[Long Run]

And the IOC would not have you believe your eyes that the venues are 1/2 full at best. Was the track stadium even a 1/3 full when Bolt won the 100m and van Niekerk smoked the WR in the 400m? Which points to the saving grace, the athletes, who are providing one amazing performance after another.

[Big RR]

I've noticed the empty stands as well, and not a mention from the commentators. Also, a big lack (thankfully) of the promotional filler from the host venue showing happy people and working factories, etc., except for shots of the beach (and as for the beach--a non US beach where the women not only wear tops but fairly conservative bathing suits?).

But the story should be about the athletes and here it is. What I enjoy is seeing the actual competition, although I would like to see a lot more of the also rans--the athletes who have little chance of winning but go out and do their best. If they are not from the US, we just don't see much of it for individual events (ditto for awards ceremonies that don't involve the US athletes); I guess they'd rather show Ryan Secrest prattling on .

[MajGenl.Meade]

Yes, the (understandable) parochialism of the US (NBC that is) is quite depressing at times. I don't really give a durn to watch athletes standing around in the ready room; athletes walking slowly out to the venue; athletes laying on the ground for far longer than necessary; athletes being interviewed with the dumbest questions ("How do you feel about winning gold?"); and commentators preening themselves (that Ryan fellow BigRR mentioned WGAS?).

If they culled the rubbish and actually showed better recaps of all the sports we "missed" (i.e. all that they decided to shove on to NBCSN or just ignore), we'd be seeing a lot more action from a lot more people - who don't happen to be USIAN sometimes.

I hate those occasions on which they have to acknowledge so-and-so got the Gold but the USA GOT A BRONZE! And somehow they don't mention someone got a silver medal.

[oldr_n_wsr]

We need more womens beach volley ball.

[Big RR]

Meade--the sad thing is, even with all the networks they broadcast the olympics on (USA, NBCSN, CNBC, MSNBC), the coverage is pretty much US centric and omits much of the preliminary bouts unless the US or some well-known from runner is involved. It's a bit better than the NBC shows (and I'll admit I don't often watch during the day, so maybe it's different then), but it's not full coverage of any sport.

The only time I recall that was on a pay cable network my friend subscribed to for the Barcelona Olympics--they had 3 channels with continuous coverage (live at late night and during the day, reruns in the evenings/nights before the new events started) and they broadcast entire events (like multiple qualifying heats in swimming or all of the shot putters regardless of how well they did). In gymnastics they showed all the events and the performances of those who didn't have a chance to medal.

As I understand it, the network getting the Olympics has to cover everything and offer their feeds to other countries (I assume of money), so they are covering it, just not choosing to broadcast it on their US networks (and with all these networks and nowhere as near a time zone problem, they could have done it).

I'd consider paying for coverage like the Barcelona Olympics had, but as I never heard of it again, I doubt it would be enough of a money maker to offer.

ETA:

here's a wiki article on the ppv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympics_Triplecast