Volume XXXVIII Issue 6 26 May 2016
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Brazil to host 2016 Summer Olympics Amanda Yao Opinion Section Editor For the first time in Olympics’ history, a South American country is hosting the Games. The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will take place in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning with an opening ceremony on Aug. 5 and concluding with a closing ceremony on Aug. 21. The mascot for Rio 2016 is “Vinicius,” a yellow and blue creature that represents Brazilian wildlife. Collectively, the 2016 Olympic games will take place at four locations. With less than a hundred days until the event, construction of the venue is still unfinished. Maracana Stadium will be the site of the opening and closing ceremonies and also has two large stadiums for sporting events. Barra Olympic Park is a group of nine sporting venues in the west part of the city and is home to Olympic Park, which includes multiple arenas: a tennis complex, a race track and a broadcast and press center. Copacabana’s world famous beach will host beach volleyball and Deodoro Stadium will host aquatics, equestrian and BMX events. Two hundred and six nations and over 10,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Olympics and in 306 events. This year’s games will include some former favorite sports. Golf will return to the Olympics after a 112 year hiatus. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made the decision to reinstate golf as an official Olympic sport. The last time golf was part of the Olympics was in the 1904 Games. In addition to golf, rugby also returns to the Olympic Games after a 92 year absence. Despite the excitement and years of planning, the 2016 Summer Games is wrought with controversy. One of the most pressing issues is the historically high level
of water contamination and pollution in Rio. A huge concern, because aquatic athletes will need to use these waters for competition. An analysis of the water done by the Associated Press reveals dangerously high levels of contamination from human feces. Olympic water athletes run the risk of becoming infected by the viruses and bacteria, potentially ruining their chances of winning an Olympic medal. Rio officials previously promised to alleviate environmental concerns through investment in sanitation, but there have been no significant efforts or results. In Rio’s Olympic bid, the government promised a four billion dollar effort to alleviate water pollution and construct eight treatment water treatment facilities. Only one has been built. “Guanabara Bay is so polluted that we need all hands on deck to solve this sooner rather than later,” said Yvon Wolthuis, a sustainability expert and co-developer of the Clean Urban Delta Initiative. “Plus, there’s so much happening in an urban bay environment like Rio that you can’t just rely on one governance model or technology to fix it.” The main obstacle for fixing pressing problems is funding. Brazil is currently suffering from one of its worst economic recessions, and Rio’s state government, which is responsible for the clean-up, has been negatively impacted by the economic downturn and lack of funding. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to implement the expensive proposals addressing the environmental crisis. Another topic of controversy is the exclusion of Russia and possibly Kenya, Morocco, Ethiopia, Belarus and Ukraine from the 2016 Summer Olympics. This is due to the long history of the countries’ track and field athletes using drugs during previous Olympics. Sebastian Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), warns that Russia needs “significant further work” in addressing the problem before being allowed to participate in Rio.
According to Grigory Rodchenkov, director of Russia’s antidoping laboratory during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, dozens of Russian athletes, including 15 medal winners, were part of a state-run doping program. Rodchenkov revealed that he had created a three-drug concoction mixed with liquor which he then provided to dozens of Russian athletes. The athletes’ urine samples were then replaced by untainted samples. This is considered one of the most successful and intricate doping ploys in Olympic history. The World Anti-Doping Agency revealed the actions of the Russians at Sochi. The Russian government forced Rodchenkov to resign and he now resides in Los Angeles. Russia’s track and field team has been suspended since Nov. 2015. The IAAF will make the decision of whether the Russian track and field team will officially be suspended from Rio 2016 on June 17. Russia will not likely be allowed to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Doping continues to occur and athletes are being warned ahead of time of the dates of doping tests. Recently, the Zika virus, has also incited considerable worry and controversy as the Olympic Games approach. Brazil is one of the 58 countries and territories that still contains Zika-virus transmitting mosquitoes. The Zika virus is not directly connected to the high levels of water pollution and contamination in Rio. Athletes and visitors to the 2016 Olympic Games are encouraged to follow the travel tips provided by the World Health Organization to avoid areas with poor sanitation. Pregnant women are advised against visiting areas where the Zika virus is still actively being transmitted. World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization continue to monitor the Zika virus in Brazil and provide updates both before the Olympic Games in August and beyond. Despite the tension in the air, as the start of the Olympics draw closer, the world looks forward to the largest international sporting event of the summer.