By Colleen Murphy
Editor-in-Chief
The tear-jerker P&G commercials are back on the air, and that can only mean one thing: The Olympics are coming. There is now less than 100 days to go until the Friday, Aug. 5, Opening Ceremonies in Rio, and despite the negative storylines that surround this year’s Games — the dangers of the Zika virus, poor Brazilian economy, etc. — athletes and the countries they will represent are already feeling the excitement.
As I did for the 2014 Winter Olympics, here is a by-the-numbers-look at this summer’s Olympic Games:
98: The percentage of venues that are complete, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
11: The number of workers who have been killed while working on the Olympic infrastructure project, according to USA Today.
60: The percentage of Guanabara Bay’s surface that is clean, CNN reported. The other 40 percent continues to be polluted by raw sewage. The bay will be used for several aquatic events, such as the triathlon and rowing races.
0: The number of chances South Korean athletes want to take at contracting the Zika virus. The country’s athletes “will wear tracksuits, which have been infused with insect repellant designed to keep mosquitoes away, as well as long pants and blazers for the opening and closing ceremonies,” according to a CNN report.
85,000: The number of soldiers and police officers who will be on duty during the Games, according to CNN.
$11-$1,300: The price range for a ticket into a sporting event, depending on the sport, CNN said.
7.5 million: The number of tickets that have been sold so far.
5-10: The number of athletes expected to compete on the new team of Refugee Olympic Athletes, according to USA Today. The IOC said the refugees will be competing under the Olympic flag.
3: The number of all-around world championships American gymnast Simone Biles has won. She is expected to have a superb showing at the Games.
22: The number of medals with which Michael Phelps is entering the Rio Games.
19: The age of returning Olympic American swimmer Katie Ledecky, who is expected to qualify for all of her races and pull off, what NBC News calls, a “Phelps-ian Olympics.”
And finally...
0: The days I can wait until the Olympic Games begin.
