The Rio countdown continues, and the latest bit of prurient news for those waiting for the action is a gem. According to The Daily Beast, the IOC has ordered 450,000 condoms for the 10,000+ athletes in the Olympic Villlage for the month and change they’re on the ground. That’s around 40 rubbers per olympian, and evidence that fold medal marksman Mark Russell wasn’t lying when he called the Olympic Village “the most testosterone fuelled place on earth.” The Guardian reported that ‘after Beijing 2008, an Olympic table-tennis player divulged the secrets of the “sex fest” and the “volcanic release of pent-up hedonism” that apparently happens when thousands of athletes at the top of their game come together.”‘ Maybe this is why so many athletes dedicate half their lives to the Olympics?
Gone Viral
ISAF World Sailing is proving just how serious it is about their sailors’ health in Rio; we recently had a peek at an urgent memo from an unnamed ISAF official to all “International Technical Officers” that concluded that “athletes, coaches, and race officials…did not have a significantly increased health risk through water contact…above the normal tourist population visiting Rio.” And we think they actually expect everyone to believe that.
In other words, sailors with raw, frequently abraded and cut-up bodies, immersed in water proven to be filled with nasty viruses, have no more chance of getting sick than a tourist at a hotel in Copacabana. Their caveat is that this warm, safe place is only available to those who follow the World Sailing safe list below. And again, they aren’t joking. From the memo:
On the water:
Rub hands and forearms with alcohol based disinfectant for 3 minutes, including:
– both hands, then forearms, then both hands again for a total of 30 seconds
-repeat the same 30 second provedure 5 times, each time with new disinfectant
-wait for the hands to dry fully before eating or drinking on board
– rinse your mouth with mouthwast (containing 0.05% chlrohexidine digluconate…) before eating or drinking
On shore after disembarking:
-use the water hose to shower immediately on return from sailing
-your recovery procedure may require to you drink and eat immediately on arrival on land after sailing. Before you actually do so – wash your hands with liquid soap and water for 60 seconds and dry them with paper towels.
Aaaaand…..you’re good!
Russian Dressing
Our final Olympic news impacts sailing far less than other sports, and it’s not really news at all just yet; the IOC has delayed its decision on whether to ban all of Russia from competing in Rio after WADA investigator Richard McLaren found Russia to be behind a comprehensive program of state-sponsored doping. If you’ve been hiding in a cave and missed this fascinating story of what may be the biggest program of cheating in the history of sport, it’s worth having a look (start with the Beeb here.)
The IOC also said it will:
- Not organise or back any sports events or meetings in Russia, including the European Games, scheduled for June 2019;
- Start disciplinary action against Russian officials named in the report compiled by Dr Richard McLaren;
- Ban Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko from the Rio Games;
- Urge McLaren to continue his work and name individual Russian cheats;
- Encourage individual sports federations to look for any Russian infringements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.
