Rio de Janeiro – Issues? What issues? Fortune seems to be smiling on the South African team as they had none of the problems other countries had reported in the build-up to the Rio Olympic Games.
South African chef de mission Tubby Reddy said there were no major incidents in the first week since the team moved into their digs in the athletes’ village.
“The team has settled in quite nicely, we’ve been quite lucky our living quarters is the building that was finished first in this complex,” Reddy said.
“So most of our things are working, we have no reasons to complain unlike the other countries and the athletes are getting used to the transport system.
There is a very positive vibe among the athletes, and all of them are injury free, so we are holding thumbs.”
Other countries have reported issues with their living quarters such as unfurnished rooms and plumbing problems.
But these problems seem to have eluded the South African team as the athletes from different codes started to make their way into the village.
“We haven’t had any real issues, it has all been things like where there wasn’t housekeeping on the one day but the team is focussed on what they need to do,” Reddy said.
“Even back home we said, you come here focusing on your own sport, your own performance then forget about everybody else.
“That is what we have thus far, so hopefully it will stay that way.”
The Rio Games have been plagued by negative reports - among others fears over the Zika virus, and poor water quality at the venues where aquatic sports such as sailing and the marathon swimming will be held.
The Associated Press this week released findings into year-long tests into the quality of the water of some of the aquatic venues which revealed contaminated water which could cause infected stomachs or respiratory illnesses.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that athletes should “cover cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters prior to exposure, try to avoid swallowing the water”.
This would largely have an influence on the country’s two Open Water swimmers, Michelle Weber and Chad Ho, while the sailors competing at Guanabara Bay could also be exposed.
“It is known that the recreational water around Rio de Janeiro receives significant inputs of untreated sewage from the surrounding urban area, and the microbial quality of the recreational water varies from site to site,” the WHO said.
“The activity that has a significant risk of water intake is swimming which will take place in Copacabana beach.
“This is a suitable location for such a practice where the levels of Escherichia coli and enterococci in water are within the standards for primary contact recreation.”
National rowing coach Roger Barrow said he had no issues with the water quality of the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas where the rowing and the canoeing will be contested.
Reddy said concerns over the water quality had been raised at every meeting between the chef de missions where they were assured Brazilian authorities were addressing the issue.
“They even deployed some systems from their own military to clean water, whether it is going to work on the short term is anybody’s guess,” Reddy said.
“They are still trying to get the water as clean as they can.” - The Star