MOSCOW (AP) -- The Olympic team of Belarus has branded the athletes’ village in Rio de Janeiro unsanitary, a day after Australia refused to check its athletes in over health concerns.
It has complained about having no hot water, only sometimes cold water, and a failing sewage system.
Posting pictures on its website of dirty windows and a filthy shower the Belarus Olympic Committee says “there remains much for the Rio organizing committee to do so that the living conditions meet sanitary requirements.”
Australia’s athletes refused to move into the village on Sunday, with delegation head Kitty Chiller saying water leaks and electrical problems had “endangered” athletes.
However, Chiller since said she expects the Australians to move in Wednesday, after having paid for hotel accommodation for athletes and cleaning services.
Sidney Levy, the CEO of the Rio organizing committee, told The Associated Press that half of the 31 apartment buildings in the village complex were ready on Monday.
“The rest will be delivered in the next few days,” Levy said, adding that each building might have a few apartments with problems “that might take a bit extra to solve.”
Rio spokesman Mario Andrada said 630 people are “working around the clock” so the village’s 3,600 apartments can be ready on Thursday, barely a week before the Olympics open on Aug. 5.
Rio officials said 1,600 people from 115 countries were living in the village on Monday — including 400 athletes. The village will accommodate about 18,000 athletes and officials at its peak.
Many teams are already in Brazil but are attending private training camps and may not need to move into the village for another few days.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, after harshly criticizing Chiller on Sunday, has acknowledged that Australia had the worst prepared building in the vast complex that contains seven swimming pools, tennis courts and a dining area to serve 60,000 meals daily.
Chiller listed seven other delegations — Britain, New Zealand, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Japan and the Netherlands — that arrived early and worked with Australia on varied problems.
The president of the Argentine Olympic Committee, Gerardo Werthein, on Monday called two of the five floors for his delegation “uninhabitable.”
Chiller said speaking out probably put “pressure” on the organizing committee. Then she changed her word choice.
“I wouldn’t like to use the word pressure,” she added. “The resources were made available.”
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