Worries abound as Rio Olympics near

The news seemed remote last March, when the Rio Olympics were only a dream for Andy Bisek and his family. They heard reports of turmoil facing the first Olympics in South America, but didn't give it serious thought until Bisek made the U.S. team in Greco-Roman wrestling.

But soon their worries grew: the spread of the Zika virus, increasing crime, political upheaval, a collapsing economy, polluted water at boating venues and delays in the construction of Olympic sites. Bisek's parents, Tom and Kathy Bisek of Chaska, were undeterred and made plans to travel to Brazil. His wife, Ashley, chose to stay home with their two young children, though it pains her deeply to miss the highlight of her husband's athletic career.

"Some people would say, 'It's the Olympics. You have to go,' " she said. "It was a very hard decision. But reading and ­hearing about everything going on in Brazil helped us decide that the kids weren't going to go."

When the Rio Olympics open Friday, organizers hope the spotlight will finally shift from the problems engulfing the city to the field of play. Every host of the world's largest multisport festival faces its share of complications, but the volume and seriousness of Rio's troubles have dominated the conversation leading up to the Games.

The U.S. Olympic Committee and its 555 athletes — including 17 with Minnesota ties — have been inundated with questions regarding safety at the Rio Games. Several of the world's top pro golfers, as well as some NBA stars, are skipping the Olympics because of concerns.

For athletes such as Kelly Catlin, a track cyclist from Arden Hills, sitting out is not an option. The Olympics represent the pinnacle of her sport.

"The USOC has been really great about keeping us updated on everything, from venue construction to the political atmosphere to Zika," Catlin said. "They've done a fantastic job of assuaging all of our concerns. With all the effort they're putting in, I'm really not all that concerned."

"It's a complicated world, and there is risk associated with everything," Blackmun said. "We're excited to go down there. And like any other Games, our expectation is that when the opening ceremony comes on August 5, we're all going to be focused on that."

When the Olympics were awarded to Rio in 2009, Brazil's economy was booming, powered by global demand for its commodities. It was stopped in its tracks by a steep decline in prices for its exports and a corruption scandal that undermined the government. Unemployment rose, budgets for Olympic-related projects were trimmed and­ ­impeachment proceedings started for President Dilma Rousseff.

Last week, some teams arrived at the athletes' village and found unfinished or dirty apartments, with substandard plumbing and electrical work. On Saturday, the main ramp of Marina da Gloria, the Games sailing venue, partially collapsed, raising more questions about the quality of construction overall. Crime, a long-standing issue in Rio, has increased; in June, an Australian Paralympic athlete had her bike stolen at gunpoint.

The government has said 85,000 police and military personnel will be protecting the estimated 500,000 people visiting for the Olympics. Other countries are pitching in. Americans are training some Rio police, and intelligence services from the U.S., France and Belgium are aiding anti-terrorism efforts. But Rio's police and firefighters claimed earlier this month they are not being paid and warned tourists they will not be safe.

But Blackmun claims "the safest place in the world is going to be the [athletes'] village and the competition venues. I think our athletes will be among the safest people in Rio,'' he said, "just because of all the security that's going to be around them."

"I'm not too worried," Bender said. "They keep the athletes as safe and comfortable as possible. I've traveled to enough different countries that I have a good idea of what not to do."

Zika represents an entirely different kind of threat. The virus has been linked to serious birth defects, and it is unknown how long it lingers in the body. The World Health Organization has advised pregnant women not to come to Brazil, while those who plan to have children in the near future also are wary.

The USOC assembled an infectious disease advisory group in March to monitor developments with Zika and share information with athletes, team officials and families. On the home page of its website, teamusa.org, the USOC has a "Rio Travel Updates" button that links to updates from the WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Two weeks ago, the CDC predicted "a low probability" that visitors to the Olympics would contract Zika. It is now winter in Brazil, with cooler, drier weather that has reduced the mosquito population. Still, the CDC is briefing American athletes on prevention, and families and friends traveling to Rio are preparing as well.

Nenita Obanana of Arden Hills is making the trip to see her daughter, Paula Lynn, represent the U.S. in badminton. She plans to follow all the recommendations: packing lots of insect repellent, wearing long sleeves, avoiding areas around stagnant water. While she finds the Zika threat "scary" — and is equally alarmed by a recent surge in global terrorism — those worries won't keep her home.

In November, Paula Obanana and doubles partner Eva Lee played a tournament in Rio and wondered whether the unfinished venues they saw would be ready for the Olympics. The closer she gets to her first Olympics, though, the less Obanana is fretting.

"We heard a lot of stuff in the news, that the beach was dirty, there was a shooting, there were security problems," she said. "It was scary then, but right now, we're excited. We're not thinking about that. Our minds are on performing well."

The city has allowed untreated sewage to flow into Guanabara Bay for years, contaminating the water with E. coli and other harmful organisms. Sailors routinely have to dodge floating trash, including the occasional corpse.

Rio Olympic officials pledged to clean up the water in time for the Games but were not able to complete that gargantuan task. Some athletes who have previously competed in Rio's waters have gotten sick, an unthinkable prospect for those who have spent four years training for their Olympic moment. To safeguard against illness, the governing bodies of the U.S. rowing, sailing, canoe/kayak, triathlon and open-water swimming teams have created protocols for athletes to follow while in the water and when they get out.

Rowers will scrub oar handles with a bleach solution, keep their water bottles in plastic bags and shower quickly after leaving the water — all precautions they have taken at other competitions with poor water quality. US Rowing also has partnered with a company that makes a spray-on disinfectant for sports gear.

Some athletes are frustrated by the preoccupation with Rio's shortcomings. Megan Kalmoe, a Minneapolis native who grew up in St. Croix Falls, Wis., recently lashed out at Rio's critics in a blog post on her website.

"My request to everyone who is fixated on [feces] in the water: stop," wrote Kalmoe, a three-time Olympian. "Stop trying to ruin the Olympics for us. … Let's move on."

That is the goal in Rio, beginning this week.

"People at work have been asking about it," Tom Bisek said. "But whether it's the bugs or the security or whatever, I believe if you pay attention and take care of yourself, you'll be fine. I have a lot of faith it's going to be OK."

Rachel Blount • 612-673-4389