WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2016 SPORTS

Australia hails quick fix of problems in athletes’ village

RIO DE JANEIRO: ’s Olympic concern over Brazil’s readiness to host a made today,” Chiller told a news confer- “It looks absolutely amazing. I undergoing tests despite a scheduled delegation in said on major sporting event in the midst of its ence in the Olympic media center. “It’s haven’t had to concern myself with any inauguration next Saturday. Monday that organizers had made “fan- worst recession in decades and a deep looking like, according to our plan, we of the leakages of the water or anything, Chiller said that a group of around 10 tastic” progress in fixing problems with political crisis. will be able to move everybody in on but walking in there I just couldn’t wipe national Olympic committees - includ- unfinished housing, although officials New Zealand and Italy’s delegations Wednesday.” the smile off my face,” she said. “What ing Britain, New Zealand, Japan and admitted that only two-thirds of the both said they had been forced to fix The newly built village will host more Rio has done to be able to create this Germany - had worked together to alert buildings had passed full safety checks. problems with electricity and plumbing, than 18,000 athletes, officials, staff and facility is amazing.” the local organizers and the Organizers for South America’s first while Argentina said on Monday it had volunteers over the Aug. 5-21 Olympics International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Games built 31 17-story build- reserved accommodation outside the and the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics. MEMORIES OF WORLD CUP to problems at the village. ings, but only 12 had been given the village for part of its delegation. Chiller said her team had identified As many as 500,000 visitors are Rio’s outspoken Mayor Eduardo Paes green light by Monday morning while The Dutch team said their own staff some 200 problems with the accommo- expected to travel to Brazil for the pledged to fix the problems, but had another eight were in the process of had resolved many of the issues that dation at the weekend - including water Games, many of them from the United appeared to make light of the receiving a full safety certification, beset their building, but they threat- running down the walls, dirty floors and States. Worries about security, the Zika Australians’ complaints by saying he Rio2016 spokesman Mario Andrada told ened to seek financial compensation for a strong smell of gas - but the list was virus and Brazil’s economic crisis could would place a kangaroo in front of their Reuters. their work. “We will evaluate this situa- now down to single figures. discourage some travelers and VIP accommodation to make them feel at “Twenty will be ready by today and tion with IOC and Rio 2016 after the Australia, which finished eighth in guests. Around 28 percent of Olympic home. “The mayor and I have a date on 31 should be ready by Thursday,” Games,” Chief of Mission Maurits the medals table in London four years tickets have yet to be sold. Wednesday and I believe there will be a Andrada said, a full eight days before Hendriks, said in a statement issued on ago, is to bring 410 athletes for the The problems at the village are not ceremonial handing over of the keys. I the opening ceremony. Sunday night. “This applies, for example, games. It received three of its floors in unlike those that have occurred before have arranged a little present for the The admission came a day after to financial consequences as a result of the athletes accommodation on other big spectacles in Brazil, such as mayor as well,” Chiller said. “I still say Australia’s delegation said it would not the measures we are taking and have Monday, and it expects to receive the the 2014 World Cup, when stadium that it will be the best village that I have move into the Olympic Village because been taken.” rest of the 15 floors by Wednesday, crews were still wielding paint brushes ever been in once these issues are com- it was “not safe or ready,” citing deficien- However, the head of the Australian Chiller said. and screwdrivers even minutes before plete.” Chiller said the Australian team cies like “blocked toilets, leaking pipes Olympic team, Kitty Chiller, thanked Australian Shelley Watts, competing kickoff. The new subway line, which will had paid the cost of putting its mem- and exposed wiring.” organizers on Monday for responding in the 60-kg female boxing category, connect the popular seaside neighbor- bers in hotels and some initial cleaning The litany of grievances from promptly to her concerns by deploying said she had been impressed by the offi- hoods of Copacabana and Ipanema to costs to make its accommodation habit- Australia, which moved members of its hundreds of maintenance people and cial accommodation when she arrived the Olympic facilities in Barra de Tijuca, able. “We’ll work out who pays the bill delegation into nearby hotels, revived cleaners. “There was fantastic progress on Monday. has suffered repeated delays and is still later on,” she added. — Reuters German champ savages Bach over IOC’s Russia stance

BERLIN: Germany’s Olympic discus champion Robert Harting yesterday launched a savage ver- bal attack on compatriot Thomas Bach, presi- dent of the International Olympic Committee, for the IOC’s stance on state-run Russian doping. “For me, he is a part of the doping system, not the anti-doping system. I am ashamed of Thomas Bach,” Harting, who has long been a crit- ic of Bach, told SID, an AFP subsidiary. “Personally, I detest this person more than ever and am very ashamed that I have to work with him indirectly.” The IOC on Sunday declined to impose a blanket ban on all Russian competi- tors for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games after a World Anti-Doping Agency probe found evi- dence of a wide-ranging cheating system direct- ed from the top. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has banned all Russian com- petitors from the athletic’s section of the Rio Games, something Harting welcomes as “the correct action. This may be a wake-up call.” But with less than two weeks before the Games start, the IOC has controversially left the decision whether to ban Russian athletes from the other Olympic disciplines down to the indi- vidual sports federations. Bach defended the IOC’s decision saying it “respects the right of every clean athlete around the world”-something Harting passionately BARRA: In this file photo taken on Sunday, July 24, 2016, Russian Olympic Committee head rejects. The 31-year-old, who won the discus Alexander Zhukov, left, receives the official invitation for the 2016 Olympic games from the gold at London 2012 and three straight world International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach during the ceremony celebrating titles from 2009 to 2013, says he has “no interest exactly one year ahead of the start of Rio de Janeiro’s Olympics, at Barra, in Rio de Janeiro, : File photo, Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav displays his medal after win- Brazil. — AP ning against South Africa Richard Brian Addinall in the 74kg category at in feeling the pain” of any clean Russian athletes. the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, . Yadav, who was to represent India in Harting says the IOC’s decision is a set-back in fraud in her country, to compete in Rio as a neu- Association, says he will give back the Olympic the 74kg category at the Olympics, said his food supplements were spiked after he the battle to drive doping from sport and says tral. Harting will be bidding to defend his Order, which was awarded to him in 2006 by tested positive for a banned steroid. — AP he “can’t understand the decision” which he Olympic title in Rio despite tearing a chest mus- Bach. “I think the decision is the severest blow to finds “simply embarrassing”. cle and suffering an inflamed right knee at the the integrity of sport and the Olympic princi- Harting says under Bach’s presidency, the IOC start of the year. He missed the entire 2014 sea- ples,” Gaeb said in a statement to SID. “I don’t has “reached a new level of disappointment”. son with a torn knee ligament. want to wear the recognition of an organisation Indian hopefuls claim Harting is also disappointed that an IOC Harting is not the only German annoyed with which betrays the ideals of sport.” ethics commission opted not to allow whistle- Bach. In protest at the IOC decision, Hans Gaeb branded the IOC’s decision not to allow innocence on doping blower Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian 800-metre Wilhelm Gaeb, the 80-year-old former Stepanova to run in Rio as a “shameless act and a runner who lifted the lid on systematic doping president of the German Table Tennis unique tribute to power politics”. — AFP NEW DELHI: Two Indian competitors have pered, saying the samples are sealed in the proclaimed their innocence after testing presence of the athlete. Yadav said he positive for banned steroids just days feared his food supplements were spiked, before they were to leave for the 2016 but he did not reveal who was responsible Trial and error calms waters for NZ’s Aleh Olympic Games in Rio. for it. “I believe that there is foul play Wrestler Narsingh Yadav, who was to involved in this entire episode. Someone WELLINGTON: Olympic sailing we needed to do and by doing that acknowledged that conditions in winds, while wind for the three represent India in the 74-kilogram category has sabotaged my food supplements and champion ’s preparations for you get pretty consistent results,” Rio, will be tricky and why they, and inshore courses were less pre- at the Olympics, said his food supplements water intake,” Yadav told NDTV station on the Rio de Janeiro Games have Aleh added. many of their main competitors like dictable because of the towering were spiked, causing the positive test. Monday. Yadav, who had won a bronze at included plenty of planned trial “Last time (in London), we were Austria’s twice world champions hillsides surrounding Guanabara Yesterday, shotput medal hope the 2015 World Championship to clinch a and error, which has led to a level really inexperienced, but this time and and Bay. “Hopefully we have all spent Inderjeet Singh, who had won a bronze at place in the Olympic team, failed succes- of consistency that places her and we have a lot more racing behind current champions Camille enough time in Rio. There is quite a the , was told by India’s sive dope tests when his samples tested among the favourites us so that even when its going bad Lecointre and Helen Defrance from lot of variety,” she said. “But know- National Anti-Doping Agency that he had positive for anabolic steroids. in the women’s 470. we can pull it back. France, spent so much time train- ing the conditions, knowing how to tested positive for a banned steroid. “This is a conspiracy against me. I am New Zealand’s Aleh and Powrie “We’re a solid enough team now ing there in the last four years. Aleh set the boat up and knowing how Singh has been asked to provide a sec- sure the truth will come out,” Yadav said. are the top-ranked duo in the cen- that it doesn’t matter what hap- said the two open water courses in to race in it and the more time we ond sample. If that is positive for anabolic Yadav said he was supported in his claim treboard 4.7m-long dinghy head- pens we will still be there.” Aleh has Rio have bigger waves and stronger had in Rio, the better.” — Reuters steroids, he will have to miss the Olympic by the Indian Olympic Association and the ing into next month’s Games, hav- Games beginning on Aug. 5.”I was on the Wrestling Federation of India. ing finished no lower than fourth in way to getting an Olympic medal for my WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh 22-of-24 World Sailing events they country,” a sobbing Singh told reporters said Yadav has made a formal complaint have competed at since the Tuesday. “I deny all the allegations of dop- against officials of the Sports Authority of London Olympics. ing that I am accused of.” “I have been India and some others who he accused of That consistency has not come speaking out against the politics in sports acting against him, but did not reveal their about by accident, Aleh told in India and how badly athletes are treated identities. Reuters from Auckland on Tuesday and their poor training facilities, and this Yadav defeated , a two- as she, Powrie and coach Nathan has riled many powerful people in the time Olympic medalist, to get his place on Handley worked to smooth out the country. “Their intention is to shut me up.” India’s team for Rio. Indian officials said if fickleness of sailing, a sport reliant Navin Agarwal, the director-general of Yadav is disqualified, Kumar was unlikely to on interpreting ever-changing con- India’s anti-doping agency NADA, denied go instead because the cutoff for entries ditions. “A lot of our sport is all that the samples could have been tam- was July 18. — AP about decision making made on the fly,” the 30-year-old Aleh said. “You’re presented with a set of cir- cumstances and you have to make Sun looking forward to a split-second decision. “The more you’ve been present- ed with that in the past, the more lighting up pools of Rio likely it is going to be the correct decision... so we have just been BEIJING: China’s Sun Yang has suffered a have a second chance to experience the slowly trying to work on our areas number of setbacks in the build up to the prime of my athletic career,” the Chinese of weakness. Rio Olympics but the freestyle specialist swimmer was quoted as saying in the “I think that’s why we have had said his controversial past has made him China Daily. some bad regattas at times. It was more determined to defend his Olympic “So I am fully investing my time and about getting it right or getting it titles in the Rio Games. energy in the pool. “Respect is always wrong.” ‘Team Jolly’, as she and Sun served a three-month ban in 2014 earned through hard work. It’s not just giv- Powrie are known in cyberspace, after testing positive for a banned stimu- en, no matter what you won in the past. I have mostly got it right over the lant, spent a week in jail for crashing a car am still young and I am still hungry for past four years. driven without a license, and most recently more titles.” Their run of results includes win- was involved in an altercation at last year’s A gold medallist in the 400 and 1500m ning their first world title in La the World Championships last year. four years ago, Sun set the fastest time in Rochelle in 2013 and a silver at the The 24-year-old also was also suspend- the 200m freestyle this year at the June world sailing championships in ed from taking part in any commercial international meet in California. 2014 in Spain. They also clinched activities by Chinese swimming officials for “No one can be 100 percent sure to win silver at the 470 world champi- missing training sessions in 2013. gold at the Olympics, but we don’t need to onships earlier this year in However, the 1,500 freestyle world question Sun’s ability to do that if every- Argentina and were third at the record holder said he was looking to learn thing goes well in training,” Sun’s coach Olympics test event in Rio last year. EYMOUTH: File photo shows Jo Aleh (black cap) and Olivia Powrie (white cap) of New Zealand celebrate from his experiences. Zhang Yadong added. “I have faith in him to “We feel that we have been work- finishing first and winning gold medal in the 470 Women’s Class Sailing on Day 14 of the London 2012 “I think I’ve grown more mature, I won’t win all his events in Rio.” — Reuters ing towards ticking off the things Olympic Games at the Weymouth. — AP