RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Not everyone is upset with Olympic housing. The South African Olympic team said Monday it is happy with its accommodations in Rio de Janeiro, calling the apartments “excellent.”
The South African Olympic committee says its athletes have everything they need and “have been lucky.”
The comments come a day after Australia’s Olympic team leader opted to keep the delegation’s 700 athletes or staff out of the Athletes Village for at least two days, citing electrical and plumbing problems in the sprawling complex less than two weeks before the start of the games.
A news conference is expected later Monday.
The 31-building village is expected to house 18,000 athletes and officials at the height of the games. Six Australian athletes due to arrive Monday and 50 on Tuesday will temporarily stay in hotels or other accommodations.
The South Africans said air conditioning, Wi-Fi and plumbing were all working well, and they also had a swimming pool.
The South African committee says facilities “look like being on a par with most Olympic athletes’ villages,” but noted the village wasn’t complete.
U.S. boxer Claressa Shields wrote on Facebook that USA boxing has been in Rio for five days with zero problems, and that Rio “is a beautiful place.”
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