Amid Complaints, IOC Board to Review Preparation of Rio Olympics

This will be IOC’s last formal meeting before the start of 2016 Olympic games at Rio.

The Australians and at least eight other Olympic teams complained this week about their accommodation in the athletes’ village. (Photo: AP)

Less than a week before the inauguration of the Olympics, IOC leaders will meet in Rio de Janeiro over the weekend to review the final preparations for the games.

The International Olympic Committee’s ruling executive board opens a two-day meeting on Saturday, its last formal gathering before next Friday night’s opening ceremony at the Maracana stadium.

Rio’s preparations, meanwhile, remain clouded on several fronts, including budget cuts, raw sewage that pollutes the sites of rowing, sailing, canoeing, open water swimming and triathlon, slow ticket sales, and concerns over crime and the Zika virus. The games come with the president awaiting an impeachment trial and the country gripped by a severe recession.

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The Australians and at least eight other Olympic teams complained this week about their accommodations in the athletes’ village, citing plumbing leaks, electrical faults and dirty conditions. On Friday, Australian athletes and staff had to be evacuated from their building after a small fire broke out in the basement. They returned safely after about 20 minutes.

However, IOC President Thomas Bach remains publicly upbeat.

In the end, you will see a fantastic Olympic Village and great games. The Brazilians will overwhelm all of us with their passion, with their joy of life, their great hospitality, and with their energy.

Thomas Bach, President, International Olympic Committee