Yachting Australia Performance Dir Peter Conde "called on the sport to pressure Rio Olympics organizers to clean up water pollution ahead of next year's Games," according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. The water quality of Guanabara Bay "has long been criticized and come under the microscope amid reports of athletes falling ill after competing there." Conde said, "It would be good if everyone in the sport kept the pressure onto the government to do what it really needs to do -- to tidy the place up. We’re dealing with health and safety issues that are unusual for the sport to have to deal with." Two int'l sailors, from South Korea and Germany, "trained in Rio in August and contracted infections which they said came from the waters." An independent study "commissioned by the Associated Press and reported in July found the waters were so contaminated with bacteria and viruses from human sewage that athletes could become ill and unable to compete." Rio organizers "have repeatedly pledged to clean up the waters in time for the Games and played down reports of floating garbage and dead fish washing up on shores" (REUTERS, 10/18).
