Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada assured athletes that the village will be ready, with 630 people working round the clock to check and fix the facilities.
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Chiller said she would reassess the situation this week.
“We felt that our building was not safe, because of a combination of plumbing and electrical issues”, the Australian Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller told journalists, adding that a stress test had been carried out – opening taps and turning on lights simultaneously – and discovered “significant leakages”.
Rio mayor Eduardo Paes had tried to comfort the Australian team by saying he wanted to arrange for a kangaroo to welcome them in the village. “Some of the cleaners we will be paying for, yes”. Delegation leader Maurits Hendriks said he had expected a few loose ends, given all the new construction, “but the size and frequency of the problem has surprised us”. “Water came down walls; there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments; and there was shorting in the electrical wiring”.
“Athletes that are arriving in the Village and whose accommodation is not finished will be placed in the best available accommodation in other buildings”.
Chiller said at a press conference that on Sunday 200 problems were identified in the building where Australia occupies 15 floors, although she said that on Monday substantial progress had been made in fixing them and the majority had been resolved.
“We were disappointed the Village wasn’t as ready as it might have been when we arrived and it hasn’t been easy”, the Sydney Olympics rowing champion said.
“The possibility that travelers returning from the Olympics may spread Zika has become a polemic issue that has led to athletes dropping out of the event, and without evidence, undue stigmatization of Brazil”, said study co-author Albert Ko, chair of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale.
Earlier on Monday, Italy said it had contracted its own workers to address its concerns.
“I think having pressure put on the organizing committee, the NOCs worked together collaboratively and we went to OCOG with the IOC and said there are some issues, and we heard back ‘we want to help you and this is how will we help you, ‘ and that has been the aim of how this process has gone”, Chiller said to ATR. Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done.
“For over a week now AOC staff have been working long hours to get our section of the village ready for our athletes”.
“For those athletes arriving in the next three days we have made alternative accommodation arrangements”.
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AP Sports Writer Steve McMorran contributed from Wellington, New Zealand.
