Sports –
Rio Olympics In Turmoil

The 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro are just about a month away. However the chaos, corruption and overall lack of preparation in Brazil could turn these games into nothing short of a catastrophe.

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What exactly is going wrong in Brazil?

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POLITICAL STRIFE:

Last December during a corruption scandal and slumping economy, members of Brazil’s political opposition in the legislature launched efforts to impeach President Dilma Rousseff. In May, a majority of the Senate voted to suspend her from the presidency and subject her to a 180-day impeachment trial.

Further, Olympic funds allocated to clean toxic water and build structures suspiciously disappeared. When asked what happened to the money, a Rio official admitted “It was stolen.”

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ECONOMIC CRISIS:

Over the last 2 years, the Brazilian economy has been in a free-fall and has plunged into its worst economic crisis in more than a century. Unemployment is at nearly 11% and wages are plummeting.

The Brazil that won the Olympics was a country undergoing a vast expansion of poverty and health programs, while making strides in addressing high rates of income inequality.

However, the Brazil that will host the Olympics is one that is deeply mired in an economic crisis and has failed at anti-poverty efforts.

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TOXIC WASTE:

It sounded too good to be true. After winning the Olympics, Rio promised that the sewage-infested Guanabara Bay would transform into a pristine waterway suitable for rowing and sailing. It never happened.

To date, scientists have found drug-resistant “super bacteria” off beaches that will host Olympic swimming events and in a lagoon where rowing and canoe athletes are scheduled to compete. The deadly microbes are present at the ocean-front Copacabana, as well as at Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo and Flamengo.

A 2014 study discovered the presence of the super bacteria, which was classified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an urgent public health threat. The super bacteria is known to cause hard-to-treat urinary, gastrointestinal, pulmonary and bloodstream infections, as well as meningitis. According to the CDC, these bacteria contribute to death in up to half of patients infected.

With only 5 weeks to go before the games are set to begin, the city recently admitted it would take 20 years to completely clean the water up to standard.  In light of this news, the international governing body for sailing has taken matters into its own hands by removing trash from the water and erecting fences to prevent additional debris from flowing into the bay.

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ZIKA:

Like much of the Southern Hemisphere, the Zika virus has struck Brazil and threatened participation in the games.

The mosquito-borne disease is extremely dangerous for pregnant women, or for those who plan to become pregnant. The dangers are rooted in Zika’s link to microcephaly —- a fetal brain defect.

Doctors initially believed the virus would minimally impact the games, prompting government officials to promise both athletes and fans a low risk level. However, Zika fears became more heightened once University of Ottawa public health expert Amir Attaran urged Olympic officials to either postpone or relocate the games, or risk spreading the disease throughout the world. Several Olympic athletes have since heeded the warning and have planned to quarantine themselves in Rio. Others — including several top NBA players — have pulled out of the games altogether.

A team of doctors recently addressed a letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, begging for the games to be postponed or canceled.

“We make this call despite the widespread fatalism that the Rio 2016 Games are inevitable or ‘too big to fail,'”  the letter said. “Our greater concern is for global health. The Brazilian strain of Zika virus harms health in ways that science has not observed before.”

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If political, economic, toxic health and disease problems weren’t enough, now there’s word that utter lawlessness could turn the Rio games into a dangerous and deadly free-for-all.

Francisco Dornelles, the acting governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro, just announced that the state has not yet received the necessary funds for adequate security, so as to protect the athletes and international visitors.

According to Dornelles, “Without proper security and a completed metro, there would be difficulties during the Olympics.”  He added “I am optimistic about the games, but I have to show the reality. We can make a great Olympics, but if some steps are not taken, it can be a big failure.”

Lee Igel, the co-director of New York University’s Sports & Society program sounded the alarm on the 2016 Rio games.

“If you think that a mega-sports event in the midst of a major virus outbreak in a host city dealing with a turbulent economy, sitting on top of a turbulent political situation, sitting on top of a turbulent social condition, doesn’t pose a significant public health issue, then, sure, ‘On with Games,’ ” Igel proclaimed.

Should the Rio Olympic games proceed as planned?  Should they be postponed to allow Rio to catch up in planning, cleaning and construction?  Or should the Olympic committee simply cancel this year’s games altogether?

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Should the 2016 Rio Olympic Games be canceled?
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