Troubles Aplenty But Rio Is Ready to Rock the Games Kevin G. Hall - The Kansas City Star
go to original August 3, 2016

Rio de Janeiro is the first South American city to host the Olympics, but preparing the host city hasn't been easy. From construction delays to Zika virus, the WSJ’s Eva Tam explains five issues Rio is facing before the Games. (Wall Street Journal)

Update: Rio 2016: What Did We Learn from the Olympics Opening Ceremony? (Newsweek)

Seven years in the making, it’s showtime for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the first in South America and among a scant few held in developing nations.

It’s been a bumpy run-up to the Rio games, both in Brazil and abroad. The host nation has struggled to put needed roads, transportation and stadiums in place, and there are numerous complaints of inadequate housing for athletes.

Days before the world’s TV screens lock in on the games Friday, the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency are battling openly over who’s to blame for widespread Russian doping and the ban of many Russian athletes.

There is no shortage of subplots, either.

Will five-time Olympian Michael Phelps add to his 22 medals? Can Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt again strike his legendary pose? Is a fifth gold medal in the cards for the U.S. women’s soccer team? Might host Brazil finally capture Olympic gold in men’s soccer, a feat that’s eluded the five-time World Cup champs?

Non-sporting subplots include a fire near accommodations, contaminated water for rowers and sailors, the risk of street crime for athletes and visitors, and a last-minute rush to get everything done – the latter hardly unique to this host city.

Getting to the starting line has been a challenge amid a rough year for Brazil, mired in its deepest political crisis in decades.

Read the rest at The Kansas City Star

Related: No Medals for Sanitation at Rio Olympics (Inter Press Service)

Related: Still Need Olympic Lodging? Rio Is World's Priciest Airbnb City (Chicago Tribune)

Related: Here Are All the Ways to Stream the 2016 Rio Olympics Online - and Watch the Highlights, Too (The Huffington Post)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!