ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

More than 1,000 cleaners and extra maintenance staff have been brought in to help fix major problems in the Olympic Village in Rio.

Blocked toilets, leaky pipes and exposed wiring are just a few of the problems cited by the Australia team, who have refused to move into the village until improvements have been made.

The 31-building compound contains tennis courts, football pitches, seven swimming pools and a dining-kitchen compound the size of three football fields. But inside the complex is said to be unfinished and potentially unsafe according to Australia's team spokesman Mike Tancred.

"We're having plumbing problems, we've got leaking pipes and we've got electrical problems," he said. "We've got cleaning problems and lighting problems in some of the stairwells. We did a stress test on Saturday and turned on the taps and flushed the toilets, and water came flooding down the walls."

Other teams have also had issues. According to Team GB communications director Scott Field: "Whilst we have encountered some maintenance difficulties, this is not uncommon with new build structures of this type and we have been working hard to overcome them." And the Dutch and Italian teams have apparently flown in their own technicians to help get the buildings up to scratch.

Rio de Janeiro officials referred to the issues as "teething troubles" and promised that crews will be working 24 hours a day until they are resolved.

"Athletes arriving in the village and whose accommodation is not finished will be placed in the best available accommodation in other buildings," claimed the organisers. "We will be working hard to ensure that the ongoing works do not disturb their preparations for the games and we regret any inconvenience that this may cause."