Australians reject athlete housing in Rio

Leaking pipes, exposed wiring in Olympic village mean athletes will stay in hotels

RIO DE JANEIRO — 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 movein 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.

The opening ceremonies for the Rio Games are scheduled for Aug. 5.

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,” Chiller said.

Chiller said that delegations from Britain, New Zealand and other countries were experiencing similar problems. Attempts to reach those delegations were not successful.

Australian athletes have been staying at hotels as local organizers in Rio try to fix the problems, according to Australian officials.

A senior official for the Rio Olympics committee said that “there have been some teething problems” that were still being sorted out and that the facilities had opened for many of the athletes.

The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss the matter before the committee issued a statement, provided no other details about the situation.

Rio de Janeiro won the bid to host the 2016 Summer Games seven years ago, when few obstacles were apparent.

But the city and the organizers of the games have encountered difficulty on several fronts, including political and economic turmoil; the spread of the Zika virus; and extensive pollution in bodies of water that are to be used in Olympic events.

Now the people in charge of putting

“Water has come through the ceiling resulting in large puddles on the floor around cabling and wiring.” KITTY CHILLER CHEF DE MISSION FOR AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

on the games are facing a situation similar to what unfolded at the last Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia, in 2014, when lodging was not ready in time for the start of the games. Bobsledder Johnny Quinn became a social media darling there when he get trapped in a bathroom and busted out through a door.

Australian officials discussed concerns with Olympic officials in Rio on a daily basis, they said. The Australians plan to reassess the situation on Sunday evening.

On Saturday night, Australian officials said they had tried to conduct a “stress test” to determine whether the facilities were ready for their athletes. They turned on lights and flushed toilets in apartments on several floors.

“The system failed,” Chiller said. “Water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was shorting in the electrical wiring.”

The United States expects to have 500 athletes and staff members staying in the Olympic village.

On Sunday, Patrick D. Sandusky, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, said, “As is the case with every games, we’re working with the local organizers to address minor issues and make sure the Village is ready for Team USA athletes.”