Officials insist they can fix Olympic Village
Athletes say housing unsafe
USA guard Kevin Durant was booed by fans during an exhibition match against China on Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Blocked toilets. Leaky pipes. Exposed electrical wiring.
Suffice it to say the athletes’ village at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro had a rough opening over the weekend, with the contingent from Australia refusing to move in.
On Monday, the head of the Rio 2016 organizing committee insisted the accommodations will be fully ready for incoming teams within 48 hours.
“There are some adjustments that we are dealing with and that will be resolved in a short while,” Carlos Arthur Nuzman said. “Every Olympic Village, because of their magnitude, needs some adjustments until it becomes perfect. The important thing is that everything will be resolved before the Games, without disturbing the athletes.”
The village was built to house more than 17,000 athletes in 31 buildings. Members of 66 national teams arrived there on Sunday and some were satisfied with the accommodations.
In Building 23, the Australians noticed electrical shorting and a strong smell of gas in some apartments.
“The village is simply not safe or ready,” said Kitty Chiller, the team’s leader. She said she would reassess the situation this week.
With the Games set to begin on Aug. 5, American and British sports officials expressed confidence the Brazilians can make needed fixes.
DURANT BOOED
Even in a jersey with “USA” on the chest, Kevin Durant got some boos at Staples Center on Sunday night.
He’ll probably need to get used to that sound in this building for the rest of his basketball career.
When he suits up in Oakland on Tuesday for the first time since joining the Golden State Warriors, he’ll get another reception entirely.
But no hate or love from the stands is going to deter Durant from trying to win a gold medal or an NBA title.
“The crowd here tonight was great, so hopefully it’s just as good at Oracle,” Durant said after scoring 19 points at a packed Staples Center during the Americans’ 106-57 victory over China in the second stop of a five-game pre-Olympics showcase.
GYMNASTICS AFTER RIO
The face at the top of U.S. women’s gymnastics will change next month when longtime national team coordinator Martha Karolyi retires following the Summer Olympics.
USA Gymnastics has reached an agreement with Karolyi and husband Bela to purchase the training facility the couple owns in Huntsville, Texas. Financial terms were not disclosed, but a closing date of Aug. 24 has been set, just three days after the closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro and five days before Martha Karolyi’s 74th birthday.
“It has everything we could possibly ask for,” USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny told The Associated Press. “It’s been custom made what for what we want and need. You add up all the elements and it’s like `Dang, what an easy decision.”’
CHASTAIN CONFIDENT
Brandi Chastain is confident the U.S. women’s soccer team can win the gold medal again in Rio, is advocating for fewer headers in youth games and dealing with her son’s diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.
It’s been 17 years since Chastain’s winning kick in a penalty shootout against China in the Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl.
These days, she’s coaching youth, high school and college soccer in California. Chastain is keeping an eye on the current women’s national team after helping the U.S. win two golds and a silver in the Olympics during her career.
“We have a very deep roster, a nice balance of young players and veterans,” she said. “Those two components have always proved successful.”
Jordan Spieth walked with purpose down the long corridor toward his locker, not stopping to look at the photos and scorecards that cover more than a century of golf history at Baltusrol.
Maybe that was just as well.
History has proven to be his toughest opponent this year, and it was bound to be a losing battle.
Dating to 1934 when the Masters began, Spieth is among 14 players who have won two majors in one year. Only five of those players ever won a single major the following year, and it’s an elite group — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.
Woods is the only player to win two majors in consecutive seasons.
Spieth is not trying to salvage his season at the PGA Championship. All but four players would love to have his year of two victories and a close call at the Masters. The exceptions are the three major champions and Jason Day, the only three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year.
It only seems like a struggle for Spieth because of endless comparisons with last year.
That’s what led Spieth to try to reason with the media, and perhaps to remind himself, of the reality he is facing.
“I think it’s been a solid year, and I think had last year not happened I’d be having a lot of positive questions,” Spieth said after the British Open. “Instead, most of the questions I get are comparing to last year and, therefore, negative because it’s not to the same standard. So that’s almost tough to then convince myself that you’re having a good year ... when the questions I get make me feel like it’s not.”
Trouble is, last year did