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Dirty Hotels, Water Greet Olympic Athletes, Tourists

09-07-2014
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Terror threats aren't the only concern at this year's Sochi Olympic Games. Unfinished roads, dirty hotels and toxic water have tourists and journalists wondering if the city's infrastructure is ready for the huge crowds.

"To have dozens and dozens of rooms not ready for journalists or whoever, it's just absolutely an embarrassment," USA Today columnist Christine Brennan said.

Eva Hain, a 64-year-old Austrian tourist, said she was rebooked twice because her hotel wasn't ready. She said construction continues to be a problem.

"The surroundings are not really nice because there are really a lot of construction sites," she said.

Conditions are a little better in the athletes' village but still not quite finished.

"You can tell in the rooms there's just subtle details that would normally be finished," one athlete said.

Meanwhile, it's not just the city that's scrambling to make finishing touches. Officials are now altering the slope-style snowboarding course after several athletes were hurt during trial runs on Wednesday.

Competition starts Thursday for the event, but at least three athletes were injured during the trial runs.

One of them was two-time gold medalist Shaun White. He now said he won't compete in the event because the risk of injury is not worth jeopardizing his other goals.

Ready or not, the games begin Thursday. Preliminary rounds of some sports are already underway and the opening ceremony is scheduled for tonight.

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