Will there be a 2016 Olympic Games?

When Rio was selected as the city to hold the 2016 Olympics, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Brazil, were very excited; this would be the first time a South American country would host the Olympic Games. At the time, Brazil was a very balanced country. Now, with a little less than 3 months until the world’s most popular and exciting sport event is to happen, many problems are arising. The first problem that that came into light is water pollution. Around August of last year, while testing the water conditions, experts realized that the water is contaminated. They found the waters of Rio to be extremely polluted, mainly with sewage. This is a huge problem because the water that is polluted is where the open water swimming, sailing, rowing, and kayaking events will be taking place. Test events took place in Guanabara Bay later in the year, and there have been reports that many athletes that participated in those test events have gotten sick as a result of the water. The IOC has stated that water will be safe by the time the games start, and they are working with Brazil and World Health Organization to achieve this goal.

Another problem that is arising is the Zika Virus. The Zika Virus is a disease that is usually transmitted by mosquitoes, but recent cases show it is possible for the virus to be sexually transmitted. This virus is mainly a problem for pregnant women, because if they receive the virus, there can be serious birth defects for the baby. There has been a surge of cases of this virus early this year, particularly in Brazil and the WHO has declared the Zika Virus a global health emergency. Because of this, they are urging women who are pregnant to not travel to Zika affected areas, which includes Brazil. Although Brazil is stating they will do whatever it takes to stop the spread of the virus, many athletes are worried about the virus as they are scared it can affect their children in the future.

Another problem is that Brazil is in a recession. Hundreds and thousands of people are unemployed and inflation has been sky high, and it looks like nothing is being done to fix it. According Bloomberg, more than 100,000 jobs have been cut in March as a result of the seemingly never ending recession. Experts believe Brazil will not get out of the recession anytime soon, if this continues.

And lastly, the country is dealing with whether or not to impeach President Dilma Rousseff as she is caught in a political scandal. Many Brazilians want her out of office. Although, the IOC is very confident that the Olympics will happen and by the time they begin, all the problems that are currently happening will be fixed, many are very wary. This leads everyone to ask this question; will the games begin or will they end even before the Olympic Torch is lit in Rio?

© 2016 Monique B. All rights reserved.