Tranquil scene at Olympic Park can't allay fears as opening ceremony approaches

The sun sets over the Olympic Rings on the Olympic Park on Aug. 1.

By David Wharton

Aug. 1, 2016 3:38 PM PT

Reporting from Rio de Janeiro — A gentle sound of splashing echoed across the arena, all those rows of empty seats, as swimmers took midday laps with no great sense of urgency.

The peaceful scene inside the aquatics center at Olympic Park, where athletes from various nations practiced in a closed-door session Monday, belied the clamor that has surrounded the 2016 Summer Games.

Organizers have faced a raft of problems that include the Zika virus outbreak, a slumping economy, political turmoil and concerns about raw sewage dumped into a bay where sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers will compete.

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With the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday evening, an ongoing doping scandal has officials scrambling to decide which Russian athletes will be allowed to compete.

As if all that weren’t enough, when the head of the International Olympic Committee arrived last week, he went straight from the airport to the athletes’ village to check on reports of blocked toilets, exposed electrical wiring and leaky pipes.

IOC President Thomas Bach tried his best to put a positive spin on the situation when talking to reporters.

“We are able to see how our Brazilian friends are able to address challenges,” he said. “Everything is coming together.”

A year ago, construction delays and confusion between various levels of government raised concerns about the city’s readiness for the Olympics.

As recently as last week, storms wiped out a ramp at the sailing venue and the Australian team refused to move into the unfinished athletes’ village.

But officials have made hurried repairs and things appear to have stabilized. Just as important, most of the venues in and around Rio seem ready for competition.

Concerns about Zika have similarly diminished. The mosquito population — a primary carrier of the virus — has subsided as winter in the Southern Hemisphere brings cooler temperatures.

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“Since two weeks before the Games, the number of cases were almost nonexistent,” Daniel Soranz, the health secretary for Rio, told reporters. “In the city, cases are very rare and for us it is an issue that we have more than overcome.”

Other problems continue to shadow these Games, with water quality representing perhaps the greatest worry.

Brazil’s government initially promised to cut raw sewage flowing into Guanabara Bay by 80%, then backed off as levels of pollution persisted along the coast of this sprawling, disjointed metropolis.

Testers have been evaluating the ocean water four times a day, Bach said. He insisted the results have met World Health Organization standards.

But on Monday, a 16-month study commissioned by the Associated Press raised questions about safety for some 1,400 athletes who will compete in the ocean.

Open-water swimmers will be the most vulnerable. Said Valerie Harwood, a University of South Florida professor: “Don’t put your head under water.”

The situation with Russian athletes remains equally unsettled.

The IOC recently declined to exclude Russia from the Games, instead asking the international federations that govern each sport to act on a case-by-case basis. An international arbitration court has come into play as banned athletes file appeals.

Olympic leaders have added yet another layer to this complex process with a three-person IOC panel that will make the final call on Russian athletes deemed eligible.

So far, more than 100 Russians have been excluded and more than 250 have been cleared, but those numbers could change as cases continue to be heard until the last possible moment.

Bach seemed to be asking for patience when he said, “I trust the people will realize the difficulties we are in.”

The IOC also continues to help organizers with “cash flow challenges” arising from Brazil’s economic troubles.

Rio 2016 has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, eliminating some amenities for athletes and reducing spectator areas at venues for non-marquee sports.

Sluggish demand for tickets has been partially to blame, though an IOC spokesman reported that 80% of tickets had been sold.

None of this should be apparent to television viewers around the world who probably will see only gleaming new venues against a backdrop of Rio’s white beaches and lush, green mountains.

Fans will not care that the country’s suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, is facing a Senate trial and does not plan to attend the opening ceremony. They will not be affected by choking traffic on city roadways.

As the competition draws near, a certain amount of buzz appears to be building. Bach cited Rio’s reputation for loving a party when he predicted a successful Games.

“Olympic Games a la Brazil,” he called it. “Olympic Games full of passion and joy for life.”

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