Athletes’ village in Rio deemed “uninhabitable” with gas scent and plumbing issues in rooms
The Australian delegation says the Athletes' Village for the Olympics in Rio is uninhabitable citing plumbing and electrical problems.
Team Australia is not happy with the conditions of the Rio Olympic Athletes’ Village saying that rooms are “uninhabitable” according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The delegation says that upon check-in, they found water streaming down the bathroom walls, exposed wiring and a gas scent.
Meanwhile, the founder of the village’s supplier of furniture says that the Rio accommodation looks “downright five-star” as it features swimming pools and balconies reported a recent CNN article. The rooms themselves are furnished with inexpensive beds and dressers.
When the Rio mayor heard of Team Australia’s comments, he responded by saying that he will “put a kangaroo there to make them feel at home.” Australia’s committee is expected to make alternative arrangements after seeing the condition of village. A spokesperson cites plumbing problems, electrical outages and cleaning issues as concerns.
Rio mayor responds to Team #Australia criticism of athletes’ village by offering to “put a Kangaroo there to make them feel at home”#Rio2016
— Wyre Davies (@WyreDavies) July 24, 2016
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Athletes began arriving in Rio ahead of the Olympics on Sunday and will continue to do so until their respective events. The village, which proves a temporary home for athletes, is located next to Barra Olympic Park. Canadians will be moving in this week.
A photo posted by Canadian Olympic Team (@teamcanada) on
The village includes 3,604 apartments split across 31 buildings, some as tall as 17 floors, and will host more than 11,000 athletes during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than 450,000 condoms will be distributed to athletes. Each athlete will receive, on average, 42.
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Team Australia refuse to live in “uninhabitable” Olympic Village. Rio mayor says it’s nicer than the one in Sydney https://t.co/PxTOya92KG
— Andrew Downie (@adowniebrazil) July 24, 2016
Although the Games begin on Aug. 5 and end on Aug. 21, many athletes will not spend the entire time in the village. Runners in the men’s marathon, for example, may only arrive to Rio midway through the Games because it’s the final athletics event. Many athletes travel late to avoid any distractions in the village and to fit in as much training at home as possible.
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According to the Sydney Morning Herald, officials from Great Britain and New Zealand have raised similar concerns regarding the state of the athletes’ village’s facilities. Though the Australian Olympic Committee has been disappointed with the rooms’ facilities, officials commended the security of the village.
According to the CBC, Chris Overholt, the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, is “generally satisfied” with the conditions of the village.
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