Australia boycotts the Olympic village of Rio!

Adding to the list of setbacks and stumbles for the Rio Olympics, the Olympic Village, home to thousands of athletes during the Summer Games, has been deemed unfit for occupancy. Sunday was supposed to be move-in day for many athletes, but the leader of the Australian Olympic delegation said its athletes would not be checking in because of problems with the gas, electricity and plumbing.

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. There is also bad lighting in many stairwells and “dirty floors in need of a massive clean,” she said in a written statement. “Water has come through the ceiling resulting in large puddles on the floor around cabling and wiring,” Ms. Chiller said. Australian athletes have been staying at hotels as local organizers in Rio try to fix the problems, according to Australian officials.

Source: New York Times