Olympics: Australia boycott Rio athletes village, ‘not safe, not ready’

In the meantime, the first of Australia’s 401 Olympic athletes – boxers and canoeists – were scheduled to move into the village Sunday and arrangements were being made to house them elsewhere.

The International Olympic Committee’s ruling executive board is meeting Sunday via teleconference to decide on sanctions following new allegations of a government-backed doping program involving Russian athletes in summer and winter sports.

Among the issues with housing units at the village are “blocked toilets, leaking pipes and exposed wiring”, said Kitty Chiller, a former Olympic pentathlete whose title is chef de mission in Rio de Janeiro for the Australian Olympic Committee.

But while Chiller said the New Zealand and Great Britain teams had experienced similar problems, officials from Team GB distanced themselves from the controversy and Rio officials said more than 200 athletes from other nations moved into the village on Sunday without complaint. Extra maintenance staff and over one thousand cleaners have been engaged to fix the problems and clean the Village but the faults, particularly the plumbing issues have not been resolved.

Chiller said some village apartments had water running down the walls and “a strong smell of gas”, while stairwells were unlit and floors were in need of a massive clean.

Chiller said Australian team staff are continuing to set up as best they can for the arrival of athletes and that for those coming in the next three days alternative accommodation had been arranged.

But the situation hit crisis point on Saturday night (Sunday NZT) when the AOC conducted a “stress test”, simultaneously turning on taps and toilets in apartments over several floors.

“There is much work to be done at the Village”, Chiller’s announcement reads.

Rowing and the New Zealand women’s football team were the first into the village.

Twenty-four hours before Australia’s first athletes are expected to touch down in Brazil, the village continues to be plagued by problems.

“Among these unfinished areas are also a few apartments in block 20, the one to be used by Italy, and where manual workers, electricians, plumbers and bricklayers – hired by CONI officials there as a matter of urgency – have been working over the past few days so that the athletes’ accommodation can be brought up to normal conditions as soon as possible”, he said in a statement.

“As is the case with every games, we’re working with the local organizers to address minor issues and make sure the village is ready for Team USA athletes”, spokesman Patrick Sandusky told the AP.

“There are lights, beds, air conditioning, but we still lack a few details”, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. Olympic Committee acknowledged there were small problems.

The IOC has recommended plumbing stress tests and fire safety tests be carried out throughout the village, all of which National Olympic Committees have been invited to observe.

“From the exterior it looks like the Hilton Hotel”, Tancred said.

Chiller’s tough words have caused yet another blow-up in relations between the Australian team and Brazil’s mayor, Eduardo Paes.