Rio de Janeiro’s renovated port area should be hopping — or “hooping” — during the Olympics.
The US men’s and women’s basketball teams are to stay on a cruise ship in the port. A second and much larger liner is to be anchored alongside during the Games and provide lodging for what officials term the “Olympic Family.”
The NBA is also expected to set up a “hospitality house” in the port area.
Photo: AP
“We’ll have two cruise ships in the port,” Rio de Janeiro State Tourism Office secretary Nilo Sergio Felix told reporters. “There will be one with the basketball players and the other for Olympic people. These are the only two we expect.”
The ship housing the basketball stars is to be the relatively small Silver Cloud operated by Silversea Cruises, which bills itself as the “Leader in Luxury Cruising.”
The company lists the ship’s capacity at 296 with a tonnage at 16,800. Its last cruise is in the Mediterranean in June before heading for the Olympics.
The “Olympic Family” is to stay on the cruise ship Getaway operated by Norwegian Cruise Lines. The company listed the capacity at 4,000 guests and tonnage of 145,655. It is one of the world’s largest cruise ships.
Craig Miller, a spokesman for USA Basketball, the national governing body, declined to confirm where the two basketball teams would stay.
He listed security as a reason for not disclosing the location, but said the men’s team stopped staying in the Olympic Village beginning with the 1992 Olympics — the first appearance of “The Dream Team.”
“We don’t stay in the village because we don’t feel it’s the best way to prepare for competition,” Miller told reporters. “The players have a long professional season and they want to spend as much time as possible with family and friends.”
Miller said it was always difficult during the Olympics to find lodging for the large US basketball delegation. The teams stayed in hotels in London and Beijing and on a cruise ship in Athens in 2004 — the Queen Mary 2.
He said USA Basketball picks up the costs of the lodging, an expense that would be covered primarily by Games organizers if players stayed in the village.
Miller said that tall players have the same problem no matter where they stay.
“You face the issue in a hotel, or you would face it in a village: The beds aren’t made for 7-foot [2.13m] players,” he said. “These guys live on the road and they figure out ways to sleep. Sometimes I’ve seen them put their luggage at the end of the bed so their feet can rest there.”
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping