Zika, sewage, murders plague Summer Olympics — NBC’s Rio crew

Student and acrobat Guilherme Barbosa, poses for a portrait at Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 18, 2016.

Lobintsev and US-based Morozov were part of Russia’s bronze-medal winning 4x100m freestyle team at the London 2012 Games, while Lobintsev also won a silver medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay at Beijing 2008.

A grandiose spectacle meant to unite the globe while serving as a powerful mouthpiece for national pride and history, Brazil officially kicks off the 2016 Summer Olympic Games with the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro Friday night at the famed Maracana Stadium.

It’s set to be a low-key affair in relation to London, with only around 10% of the budget of the event four years ago.

“I’m feeling good, the weather is good and I’m ready to compete”.

But for Dennis Claudinho, a 27-year-old construction worker who has helped build Olympic venues, the Games are a bittersweet reality in this nation still grappling with intense inequality.

About 600 officers will be deployed to police stations tasked to patrol the Brazilian favelas, or shanty towns, that security forces deemed as “pacified” after carrying out operations to free the areas from powerful drug gangs. Nike has also developed special aerodynamic suits, sunglasses, and body tape for track and field athletes, as well as shoe spikes customized (through 3-D printed prototypes) to individual runners. “There will be new things, a new space that I have invented and that we are working on here”. They will also enjoy newly implemented digital lap counters below them in the pool (no more losing count).

The IOC took notice, returning wrestling to the Olympic roster just eight months after kicking the sport out in 2013.

“Everything I’ve done has been with a focus on Rio”.

Spanish sailor Fernando Echavarri told CNN the waters were the dirtiest he had competed in and warned: “As soon as you cut your foot you can easily infect yourself – and that is a problem”.

The White House says U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will lead the U.S. delegation to the games. Many of Rio’s waterways are polluted and, according to reports, filled with debris, bacteria and in some cases, sewage.

The tennis competition begins Saturday.

It isn’t just Burroughs’s talent that’s made him a star.

“That would’ve killed anything in my stomach, too”.

The Rio Olympic is the 31 edition of the modern day Olympic Games, where 39 different sports will be played.

“These golfers and basketball players who are copping out – they have bigger competitions and they make millions of dollars every year”.

Other Olympics have taken place without significant difficulties and he hopes it will be the same for Rio, Costas said Tuesday.

“It’s only the third Olympics we’ve had the 10K and it’s really blown up – it’s pure, raw athletics – so we aren’t going to miss it”. When asked if Cariocas (locals) will benefit from the Olympics, he said, “Those in a position to rent out rooms in their houses can earn extra income, as well as those who work in the tourism industry”.

Weinberger isn’t the only Rio-bound swimmer with ties to the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

Live coverage of the Olympics will be screened by the BBC.