Rio Olympics: Aussies snub village
26 July 2016 by News Desk
Rio Olympics organisers have been working around the clock to complete athletes’ accommodation in the Olympic village but Australian sporting chiefs say it’s not up to standard.
Aussie athletes have complained of problems with gas, electricity, plumbing and dirty floors. Problems including leaking pipes, blocked toilets, exposed wiring and dark stairwells with no installed lighting have been reported.
Kitty Chiller, head of the Australian Olympic squad, has complained of water coming walls, a strong smell of gas in some apartments and dangerous electrical wiring.
The Australian squad has been living in nearby hotels because the village is simply not safe or ready, Chiller told reporters.
“Due to a variety of problems in the Village, including gas, electricity and plumbing I have decided that no Australian Team member will move into our allocated building. We have raised our concerns on a daily basis with the Organising Committee and the IOC,” she said.
Rio Olympics – Aussies snub village
Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio, hit back at the Australian complaints, telling reporters: “This village is better than the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
“As hosts, what we want is for everyone to feel at home. It is natural that you have some kind of adjustments to do, but we will make Australians feel at home here,” the Mayor said.
Extra maintenance staff and over 1,000 cleaners have been tasked with fixing the problems before the Rio Olympic Games begin on August 5th.
The newly-built village includes 31 residential towers each with 17 floors where more than 10,000 athletes, 6,000 coaches and Olympic officials will live and train during the global sporting event.
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