It appears as if the structural and functional issues encountered by the Australians upon arriving at the Athletes Village in Rio are being rectified, as the team is now scheduled to move into housing on Wednesday.
We reported yesterday how the Aussies were due to move into the Village on July 21st, but have been living in nearby hotels because the Village ‘was simply not safe or ready.’ Along with plumbing problems, the Aussie team reported electrical and cleaning issues, as well as a strong smell of gas in some apartments.
Today, however, Aussie Chef de Mission, Kitty Chiller, says that “it’s looking like, according to our plan, that we will be able to move everybody’s in on Wednesday.”
According to Rio spokesman Mario Andrada, organizers have 630 people ‘working around the clock’ to ensure that the 3600 apartments contained in the village will all be ready with less than 2 weeks to go until the Games’ opening ceremony.
Still, a bundle of tasks remain, as 19 of the 31 apartment buildings yet to have passed safety tests. Not mincing words, Andrada acknowledges that stress tests of the plumbing and electrical components “should have been conducted a long time ago. But the problem is here and now our task is to fix it as quickly as possible and to ensure that everything is safe.” (The Guardian)
I feel like this Olympics s going to be tragic for the athletes in the village because of plumbing and structural issues. It will be equivalent to Sochi for the Winter Olympics back in 2011