Leaky Toilets at Athlete Village Add to Rio 2016 Budget Woes
- Delegations found faulty wiring, poor lighting, "chaos"
- Remedial work taking place before majority of athletes arrive
The kitchen and living room inside a unit within the Olympic and Paralympic Village for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Photographer: Buda Mendes/Getty ImagesAlready strapped for cash, Rio 2016 organizers are now on the hook for last-minute repairs to the athlete village, which at least one arriving delegation has called "unlivable."
When the first contingents from Australia, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the U.S. discovered leaking bathrooms, faulty wiring and unlit common areas in the athlete village, they complained quickly and publicly. Italian delegation head Carlo Mornati described the situation as "chaos." The Australian delegation said the accommodations are uninhabitable, and Argentina expects only three of its five allocated floors will be "liveable." The Netherlands Olympic Committee decided to fly staff to Rio earlier than expected to help deal with the fallout of the problems and to minimize disruption for its athletes.