The 2016 Rio Olympic are slatted to start August 5, and there are still many concerns, questions, and problems that need to be addressed. It’s thought that some of the issues revolving around these games will never be solved. Here’s a glimpse of some of the major issues.
Accommodations
Power outages, water leaks, and other problems are plaguing the Athletes Village in Rio. It’s so bad that at this point Australia has said its competitors will not move in. There are 31 buildings in the village, which is supposed to house 18,000 athletes. The Australian Olympic Committee has noted that there are problems with water leaking from the ceilings, maintenance of power, and cleanliness. They have said that unless something is done quickly that their athletes will not be moving into the village. In an attempt to address the concerns, emergency talks were held this past weekend between local organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Pollution
Water pollution has been a major problem in Rio for decades. It was hoped that the problem would be addressed once Rio was chosen to host the summer games. Officials in the city and in Brazil claim that they have cleaned up the waters and beaches. They say that pollution is no longer a problem for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
However, raw sewage still spills from the city’s poorest neighborhoods into neighboring waters. Rio officials had promised to build eight sewage treatment plants to deal with the problem. Only one was constructed. The marina where Olympic sailors will launch their boats is laced with a huge plumb of raw sewage.
The waters around Rio contain viruses that are said to be 1.7 million times more hazardous than those found in the waters along U.S. beaches. Rio was supposed to take care of 80% of the sewage problem, but it has addressed only about 50%.
Guido Gelli, an official with Rio’s Environmental Department, has noted, “The problem is the sewage systems, because it’s not easy, it’s very expensive.” He added, “And for Olympic Games there’s no problem with the surface of the bay in the place where the games will be.”
But many disagree with this assessment, and it’s feared that the 2016 Rio Olympics could have many issues associated with water pollution.
Terrorism
With the 2016 Rio Olympics on the horizon, many believe that the country is in no way equipped to handle possible terror attacks. 85,000 police and military will address security issues. It’s been noted by the U.S. that there has been increased chatter across the web concerning efforts to disrupt the games. Along with concerns regarding ISIS, some officials are also worried that there may be discontent in the slums of the city, which could boil over, creating dangerous situations.
Recently, numerous terrorist suspects were arrested throughout the country. The arrests were of those who had become involved with terrorism through the Internet. None of those arrested, which included a man trying to buy an automatic rifle over the Internet, had been to Syria or any other ISIS stronghold. Computers, cellphones, and other types of equipment were confiscated in the raids but no weapons were found.
2016 Rio Olympics: Disaster in the Making?
It’s hoped that the 2016 Rio Olympics will go off without a hitch. But the fact is many countries and individuals are concerned about the health, safety, and welfare of the Olympic athletes. Those in Rio and the nation of Brazil don’t appear to be concerned at all. That laissez faire attitude is perhaps the most alarming factor in the entire situation. The 2016 Rio Olympics open August 5 and run through the August 21.
