Athletes, Experts Sound Off on Rio 2016 Preps -- Media Watch

(ATR)The official one-year countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympics gets underway as athletes and media weigh in on the road ahead for the Brazilian city.

The Associated Press spoke with Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes on Wednesday who said that all the venues are running on schedule and will be delivered in time for next year's Games - "a feat he compared to a miracle."

Addressing reporters from an under-construction arena in Rio, Paes said, "We want to show that we are capable of doing things on time, that Brazil is not a country where everything ends up over budget, everything ends up late.

"We are literally making a miracle happen here."

The AP says that Paes and Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman were "peppered throughout the news conference by persistent questions about the quality of Rio's Olympic waters."

Nuzman insisted on the cleanliness of Rio's waterways. "We've heard from athletes that have swum with fish."

He added, "So there are some discrepancies."

Julio Maglione, president of the aquatics world governing body (FINA),told the AP that the water quality in Rio is"not a big problem at the moment."

He also said that FINA is in contact with the International Triathlon Union, which held an Olympic test event at Rio's Copacabana Beach last week, to track the health of the triathletes who competed.

"They were swimming in this water, and they're going to make an examination of all the athletes that competed."

In an article for The Guardian, reporters Ana Terra Athayde and Matthew Wheeland speak with experts to determine whether Rio 2016 will be able to fulfill one of its promises to locals.

"One aspect of the Olympics legacy touted by the municipal government is in urbanizing Rio's favelas - the sprawling slums throughout the city.

"Widespread development and improvements in the favelas could usher in a huge economic boom for the Brazil's construction industry - not to mention improving residents' quality of life."

Athayde and Wheeland add, "But the results to date haven't lived up to expectations, and experts question if the program will achieve its goals."

NBC has lofty predictions for its coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

"Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal expects to exceed $1 billion in advertising sales with the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next August.

"Commitments from sponsors including Nike Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., Kellogg Co. and Coca-Cola Co. are on pace to top the 2012 London games, according to Seth Winter, executive vice president of sales at NBC Sports."

Athletes Sound Off on Rio 2016

In speaking with the AFP, Olympian Sally Pearson says she fears the Rio Olympics could be tarnished next year by explosive allegations of mass doping."Unfortunately, it's going to be there.

"I don't know how confident I am about how clean it's going to be in Rio.But as long as we can do everything we can to make it the cleanest Olympics we can, then that is a really good start."

Allegations of widespread doping were triggered by a leaked database obtained by German ARD broadcaster and The Sunday Times. After analysis of the results of 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes taken from 2001 to 2012, they concluded that 800 were suspicious.

Olympian Michael Phelps has vowed he will not drink alcohol until after the 2016 Games - if he ever drinks again.

Following his second drunken driving arrest last September, ESPN says thatPhelps underwent 45 days of inpatient treatment, enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous, and decided that he needed to remove drinking from his life, at least in the short term.

"Before I even went to court, I said to myself that I'm not going to drink until after Rio - if I ever drink again," the 30-year-old said.

"That was a decision I made for myself. I'm being honest with myself. Going into 2008 and 2012, I didn't do that. I didn't say I was going to take a year off from drinking and not have a drink."

Phelps is competing at the U.S. Championships this weekend in San Antonio, Texas.

Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt is also gearing up for competition at the Rio Olympics.

Bolt was in Rio on Wednesday for the one-year-to-go celebrations. The Indian Express reported that Bolt shared his excitement with fans on Twitter by posting a picture with Rio's iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer.

U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach showed off her skills in another sport last week when shethrew out the opening pitch of a New York Mets game in her last post-World Cup appearance.

The 35-year-old told ESPN that she is waiting to finalize her decision on retirement until after her long-awaited vacation."I don't know what I'm going to do about Rio next year in terms of deciding on whether or not I'm going to go for it.

"In my mind, I have to believe that if I'm asked to be on the team I don't know if I can say no, but a lot has to happen between now and then."

Sportnews.com writer Jack Davies says that Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross is eyeing historyas she bids to become only the second woman to defend her crown in the 400 meters.

"I can't believe three years have gone by so quickly and it's exciting to be one year out from Rio right now," she told international sports news agency Omnisport.

"I do want to join Marie Jose-Perec as the second woman ever to win back-to-back in the 400m. I know it's going to be a tough feat. I know the 400m is a challenge and that women all over the world want to win that medal."

Kate Hairopoulos, a writer The Dallas Morning News, spotlights North Texans vying for spots at Rio 2016. The list includes professional golfer Jordan Spieth, gymnast Bailie Key, and shot putter Michelle Carter.

Compiled byNicole Bennett

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