Amadou Dia Ba, a member of the IOC Athletes Commission, tells Around the Ringsathletes are too focused on preparations to worry about media reports.
"They train themselves for the Olympic Games," Dia Ba said in an interview.
"They don’t worry about if it’s ready if it’s not, all these problems."
Rio’s Olympic readiness has been a growing concern with the IOC repeatedly saying time is running out for Rio.
He also says that no athletes who are training for the Olympics have expressed any concerns about the progress of work in Rio.
Dia Ba also said that while athletes may not pay attention to Games’ preparations, he finds the situation in Rio "a bit worrying."
He added that he has not personally inspected the 2016 host city but has read and heard other IOC members’ fears.
The Athletes Commission will continue to advise Rio 2016, Dia Ba said, and ensure that the organizing committee keeps the promises it made when it was awarded the Olympics in 2009.
"We have a hope for a good Olympic Games," he said.
A silver medalist in the 400m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Dia Ba is Senegal’s lone Olympic medalist. He says he does not miss the grind of training and competing as an Olympian.
"Helping athletes -- that’s more important for me now."
Written by Ed Hula III
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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