Olympians headed to Rio de Janeiro have already been told to be cautious of the virus Zika. But Olympic swimmers, sailors and windsurfers will have to look out for more than that, because the city’s waters have what health experts are calling a “petri dish of pathogens,” including bacterias that cause diarrhea, vomiting and even death to those with weakened immune systems. “Foreign athletes will literally be swimming in human crap, and they risk getting sick from all those microorganisms,” Dr. Daniel Becker, a local pediatrician who works in poor neighborhoods, said. “It’s sad but also worrisome.” Feces from a nearby sewage plant reportedly pours into the water untreated and human and animal dead bodies are found in the water with “upsetting regularity,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The government promised to clean up the waste in Guanabara Bay and the beaches surrounding Rio seven years ago, but officials admitted their efforts have fallen short. The Olympics start on Aug. 5. But government officials say specific areas where athletes will be competing meet World Health Organization Safety standards. And windsurfers practicing on the more highly contaminated areas say it’s not a big deal. “We just have to keep our mouths closed when the water sprays up,” Afrodite Zegers, 24, a member of the Dutch sailing team, which has been practicing in Guanabara Bay said. http://www.sunherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article92337342.html
They'll be swimming in Russian steroids too. The IOC and their associates need an independent body to oversee it, they seem to have a fetish for taking kickbacks and handing sporting events to dysfunctional countries. Next time, just once, they should maybe consider picking a venue that doesn't require slums to be bulldozed to make room.
