What a week for international sports.
Authorities hauled in 16 more officials of FIFA, the international soccer governing body, on Thursday. And a new report cast doubt on whether Brazil will be able to clean out deadly germs from key waterways in time for next year’s Olympics.
Increasingly, it seems, athletes who take part in global competitions risk not only their reputations — but also their health.
In May, Swiss authorities collared numerous high-level FIFA officials on assorted corruption charges. The 16 nabbed Thursday brings the total to 41. And yet FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, still holds his title — though he’s been suspended.
None of the players, of course, have been rounded up, but fans may come to see them as tainted merely by association.
Meanwhile, there was fresh confirmation this week that the waterways meant for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil contain up to 1.7 million times the level of disease-causing viruses found in human sewage.
“It’s not just along the shoreline but elsewhere in the water,” says Kristina Mena, a US virus expert. “It’s going to increase the exposure of the people who come into contact.” At risk are the Olympic athletes in the rowing, canoeing and sailing events.
More bad news: Brazil isn’t exactly in top shape to fix the problems. On Wednesday, it kicked off impeachment proceedings against its president, Dilma Rousseff.
No, sporting events in the international arena aren’t going to vanish overnight. But if the turmoil continues, it’ll be a wonder if anyone still wants to take part in them.