Kitty Chiller, Australia’s Chef de Mission in Rio, is one tough cookie.
Competing in the pentathlon at the Sydney 2000 Games, the horse she was riding threw back its head, smashing her nose.
Chiller completed the course, fainted, fell out of the saddle, and then competed in a three-kilometre run.
I wonder how long it will be before Kitty Chiller loses her cool, calm, and collected self in Rio. She doesn’t suffer fools, and in Rio they are a dime a dozen.
What else would you expect from a country reeling with their President Dilma Rousseff impeached, 41 of the 65 senators are under investigation for corruption, police and public servants haven’t been paid for weeks? The crime rate is through the roof, and inflation is running at over ten per cent, the highest in 15 years.
In short, Brazil is a shambles with Rio a leading light, and the way things are going, the Olympic Games will be a shambles as well.
Already Chiller’s patience has been sorely tested with the Australian building in the Olympic Village not fit to move in with toilets not flushing, electrical wiring exposed, water seeping out of electrical fittings, and the gas not connected.
Three days later all the problems were fixed to move in, and then there was a fire in the basement, with rubbish ignited by a cigarette in the non-smoking Village.
The Rio mayor had only given Chiller the key to the city the day before to placate the Australian contingent.
Who, in their right mind, would want the key to a city of shambles?
Kitty Chiller handled it all with aplomb and grace. but she is a ticking bomb and woe betide the person on the wrong end of a Chiller blast.
There’s more drama in store, but not directly associated with the Australians.
The close friendship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and IOC President Thomas Back doesn’t pass the smell test.
The sporting world is still reeling after Bach refused to ban the entire Russian team from Rio, despite irrefutable evidence the Russians had embarked on state-controlled drug cheating for four years.
Bach left the banning to the various international governing sporting bodies to do his dirty work.
Meanwhile, Putin has ridiculed the IAAF for banning the Russian track and field last November.
True to form, Putin has said the track and field gold medals will be devalued with no Russians competing.
Bad call Putin, the gold medals will be greatly enhanced with no Russian drug cheats in the field.
The Putin-Bach combination will end up being the story of the Rio Olympics, setting the IOC back 20 years.
northerner
Guest
OMG - she complained because the accommodation was unfit for habitation, then because there was a fire and the fire alarms had been turned off. She's probably a bit upset that some of the athletes had their rooms rifled while leaving the smoky building too. And all her jumping up and down has resulted in - ermm, well, the village seems now to be fit for habitation. And maybe the fire alarms have even been turned back on. None of these things should have been issues in the first place. Maybe that's why she's jumping up and down. Ever been in a place where nothing gets done unless you start shouting? I have. Rio would appear to be one of those places. And she's getting things done. Personally, I'm glad she's holding those responsible accountable.
Squirrel
Guest
Who cares about Kitty. She thinks it's her games, I wish she just left it to the athletes. Australia is carrying on poorly and not in the spirit of the games
George
Guest
Ms Chiller needs to be reminded that while one aspect of her role is advocacy, it is not the only part of it. By complaining at every press conference about whatever she has just been told/discussed, and filling in times with click bait headlines, she is not helping herself in her other functions - administration, pastoral care, and preparation for the athletes. Sure, if the village isn't up to standard, say something and perhaps even do it publically if the internal channels haven't borne fruit, but to then lay out rubbish about what Russia is doing only attracts more negative attention to her and her "mission". She needs to know when jumping up and down is useful and when it becomes useless. She strikes me as someone who gets a piece of bad news and wants to shout about it to everyone before asking the people responsible what their plan is to resolve the issue. Similar to a certain AFl coach or two I guess.
jameswm
Roar Guru
You mean "organisers".
jameswm
Roar Guru
Can you enlighten us as to what they have done?
jameswm
Roar Guru
The athletes are keeping way out of the spotlight and finalising their preparations. We are all keen for the Olympics to start. I thought she was a cartoon farce initially, but she takes her role seriously and has the best interests of the athletes at heart. I am sure she would have been a lot happier with her name out of the spotlight - meaning everything was properly prepared.
northerner
Guest
Frankly, I'm sick of people saying every Olympics is the best ever, every venue is wonderful, it's all terrific. I like that she sees her job as looking after the athletes, not the reputation of the Australian Olympic committee. Maybe, if a lot more people had been a lot more honest all along, the Olympics wouldn't be in the sorry state that it is.
garlee10
Guest
Who cares
Celtic334
Guest
She needs to be reminded she isn't just representing the athletes, she is representing the country. I love her no nonsense attitude but this can be done with a little bit more class and grace.
BBJ
Guest
We may not get many medals for sports but we should for whinging. Kitty should STFU and try and support the Rio organisers.
Greg
Guest
The Australian Olympic team are an embarrassment by the way they have carried on.
GWSINGAPORE
Guest
Her strine makes Julia Gillard sound like an Old Etonian.
pauld
Guest
A bull in a china shop.
Boz
Guest
Does anyone else get the feeling that the Olympics have jumped the shark?
David Lord
Expert
All you are doing Carl is proving what I've said since October 2, 2009, Rio was a disaster waiting to happen. And it has. Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago were far better bets, but in the end Rio won the third round of bidding 66 votes to Madrid's 32, That decision was as bone-headed as Qatar winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022. It took Montreal 30 years to wipe out the debt from hosting the 1976 Olympics, don't be surprised if Rio takes as long, if ever, with Brazil an economic basket case.
Carl
Guest
The problem with what will happen in Rio will not be the games - Olympics and Paralympics but the aftermath. The political and economic outlook could make Brazil suffer for the next decade. The amount of money spent for this sporting extravaganza compared to what could be spent on proper infrastructure for the general population. If what Prof. Steve Keen ( the Prophet of Doom ) is correct, many people in Australia, especially Metropolitan areas, will suffer as well. Citius, Altius, Fortius.
David Lord
Expert
Fair call peeeko, but for the moment it's the inept Rio officials who are playing "games", and they are not the Olympic Games. Thankfully Kitty Chiller is a tough cookie, and those who take her on will know they've made a bad call. Once the Games begin you will hear plenty about many athletes, but for now Kitty is the only, and best bet, to keep her troops clear of the Rio crap.
Peeeko
Guest
I've heard th name kitty chiller too many times. Can't wait to hear about some athletes