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  • As the days count down to Rio’s Olympic debut next year, many critics have noted that

  • the city still has a high crime rate, high water pollution, and many other challenges

  • to face in its preparation work. So what’s going on in Rio? Are they really ready to

  • host the Olympics in 2016? Here’s a timeline illustrating some of the city’s major issues

  • over the past several years.

  • [October 2, 2009] Rio beats out cities like Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago to win the Olympic

  • bid for the 2016 Summer Games.

  • [October 17, 2009] Just two weeks later, gang violence in Rio makes international headlines.

  • A police helicopter is shot down just a mile from the future site of the Olympic opening

  • and closing ceremonies. The Mayor concedes that there is “a long way to gotowards

  • optimal security for the Olympics.

  • [July 6, 2012] Construction of the 2016 Olympic park begins.

  • [June 2013] Thousands of people riot throughout Brazil over the money being spent on the Olympics

  • and other sporting events, instead of on public healthcare and education.

  • [April 3-17, 2014] Over two thousand Olympic venue constructions workers strike for better

  • pay and working conditions, setting the schedule back 2 weeks.

  • [April 29, 2014] The vice-president of the International Olympic Committee says slow

  • preparations in Rio areunprecedentedand theworst that I’ve experienced”.

  • He claims construction had not commenced on some venues and water pollution was still

  • a serious concern.

  • [November-December 2014] Thousands of dead fish wash up in Guanabara Bay, raising questions

  • about the safety of the water. A month later, researchers in Brazil find drug resistant

  • super bacteriain Guanabara bay, where Olympians will be sailing and windsurfing.

  • [January 2015] A wave of gang violence leaves 5 dead and 30 injured. News agencies speculate

  • that increased policing in the area has caused gangs to lash out in a grab for territory.

  • [February 2015] Thousands of dead fish AGAIN turn up in Guanabara Bay, during a visit from

  • the IOC. Rio officials make assurances that all Olympic venues will be clean andsafe

  • by 2016. The head of the IOC cautions thatthe most intense period of preparations

  • is coming with test events happening before the Olympic games begin.

  • With about 500 days to go before the beginning of the Olympic games, Rio is feeling the pressure.

  • But despite recent crime and water pollution issues, officials from Rio and the IOC have

  • remained upbeat about the status of Olympic preparations.

  • When you hear about pollution, it’s pretty likely that the first country that comes to

  • mind is China. To learn about how bad the problem really is there, check out our video

  • here. Please consider subscribing to TestTube now, youll be the first to see all our

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As the days count down to Rio’s Olympic debut next year, many critics have noted that

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