RIO DE JANEIRO The head of Australia’s Olympic delegation in Rio de Janeiro said on Monday organizers had made “fantastic” progress in addressing concerns over unfinished housing at the official village and her team expected to move into its accommodation on Wednesday.
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During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, “water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was “shorting” in the electrical wiring”.
Rio’s Olympic organisers said such teething problems plagued all Olympic Games and promised that “adjustments” would be made to resolve the problems.
“Every Olympic Village, because of its magnitude, needs some adjustments until it becomes ideal”.
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro appeared to make light of the situation, however, sparking what some media have called “Kangaroogate”.
“We are progressing. The village is fantastic”, he said.
He sarcastically said he was tempted to put “a kangaroo jumping outside” the Australians’ building to make them happy.
Responding to Paes’ offer, Australian committee spokesman Mike Tancred told a Brazilian newspaper “we do not need kangaroos, we need plumbers to account for the many puddles found in the apartments”.
The village will accommodate about 18,000 athletes and staff with a dining room serving 60,000 meals daily.
“Our secretariat and medical teams have set up operations at the Olympic Village and welcomed the first athletes and officials from shooting and sailing to the Village today”. “I’ve arranged a little present for the mayor, also”. “It’s looking like, according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody in on Wednesday”. However, TTOC president Brian Lewis is confident the Rio Games organising committee is doing everything it can to address all the issues ahead of the Games which start on August 5.
New Zealand jiu jitsu athlete Jason Lee said on Facebook that he was “kidnapped” by armed men in military police uniforms and forced to withdraw cash from two separate ATMs.
Chiller later told reporters: “This is my fifth Olympics Games. They are national symbols”, he said.
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He said that he is not making excuses for Brazil but at the same time is very supportive of South American country because it is the first time a South American nation will be hosting an Olympic Games.
