Representing your country in the Olympics is one of the highest honours for an athlete, but should you do it if your safety is at risk?
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Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic team, Kitty Chiller, blamed the incident on a lit cigarette, which had been thrown on rubbish left by staff and contractors in the auto park.
Australia’s Olympic Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller is meeting with Olympic Village and IOC officials after a small fire at the team’s accommodation revealed fire alarms had been silenced.
“When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals – I don’t know who they were – walking out with team shirts”, she said.
“I have two brothers that I haven’t seen for years”.
‘. I did notice it and I thought “oh, maybe they have helped evacuate people and so we had given them a team shirt”‘.
Bob and Mike Bryan will not defend their Olympic doubles title in Rio de Janeiro, citing health concerns.
“There is no CC-TV in the village”. “I send my hugs and best wishes wherever you might be”.
When Team U.S.A. comes back to the States, members will scatter back to their homes across the country.
Now, the extra security has been increased and four extra security guards are arranged at the front gate to make sure this kind of stuff will never happen in future.
Chiller said a lot of workers and contractors are smoking in the Village.
The Athlete’s Village is a sprawling complex of 31 buildings that is supposed to house all 18,000 athletes and staff from around the world during the summer Olympics.
Chiller said all team members had been reminded to keep doors locked and valuables secure. There have been complaints about backed up plumbing, exposed wires, and many other issues.
The basement fire was blamed on a cigarette discarded into debris left after the repairs.
The Australians subsequently discovered that the alarm system had been deactivated without them knowing while workmen were fixing the neighbouring building. There was also a pledge that the smoking ban would be enforced.
Apart from the missing laptop, IT equipment had also been “rifled through”. The shirts had only been delivered on the morning of the fire.
Long sleeves have been recommended for all visitors coming for the Olympics due to the threat of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has caused birth defects and some neurological problems in adults.
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“The Olympic Games represented an opportunity to improve all of Rio de Janeiro”, Temer told an inauguration ceremony of the six-stop line, which is expected to serve more than 300,000 passengers a day.
