The Other Side of the Rio Olympics
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Op-Ed by Neenah Payne
The Opening Ceremony of the Rio Olympics did not receive high ratings, but it is always fun to see how the host country presents itself to the world. Brazil gave us a short recap of its history. It’s also very moving to watch the world’s top athletes parade into the stadium in a show of global friendship. Then, for several days, we sit in our living rooms with front row seats to watch incredible performances.
Gymnast Simone Biles’ lived up to high expectations. Swimmer Michael Phelps won his 23rd Olympic gold medal before retirement. The August 22nd Sports Illustrated cover featured them with swimmer Katie Ledecky who set world records in distances from 200-800 meters. During the Summer Olympics, we take a few days out of own lives to revel in the excellence of the best athletes on the planet. For that week or so, war seems far away and it seems possible for everyone to get along peacefully.
So, the Rio Olympics was a feel good time for all. Or was it?
Polluted Copacabana Beach and Guanabara Bay
Photos of famed Copacabana beach and Guanabara Bay were the first signs that something was seriously amiss. The unbelievable levels of sewage and dangerous pollution posed major threats to athletes participating in rowing and sailing. Brazil had promised to clean the bay by the Olympics, but failed to do so.
The article 3 Teaspoons Of Water In Rio Is Enough To Make Anyone Seriously Sick points out that antibiotics are ineffective against the bay’s pathogens. According to Dr. Valerie Harwood of the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida, 16 months of vigorous testing found that 90% of all locations had high levels of the viruses.
The physician stated:
That’s a very, very, very high percentage. Seeing that level of human pathogenic virus is pretty much unheard of in surface waters in the US. You would never, ever see these levels because we treat our waste water. You just would not see this.
The article Live From Rio: Out of the Pool, and Over to the Beach reported:
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