Five reasons to be optimistic about Rio 2016

The countdown to Rio 2016 reached the 500 day mark on Tuesday and the milestone coincided with a growing sense of anticipation about the first Olympics in South America.

While the road to Rio has not been without its bumps, there is a feeling that meticulous planning and a concerted effort to avoid construction delays is paying off.

Xinhua lists five reasons to be optimistic about the Games of the XXXI Olympiad.

GUANABARA BAY EFFORTS

Arguably the most controversial topic so far has concerned the state of Guanabara Bay. While the Olympic sailing venue remains polluted, local authorities have pledged to remove 80% of waste flowing into the bay by the time the Games begin. Earlier this month it was revealed the state government was in talks with a Dutch technology firm to collect floating rubbish with the help of real-time footage and water condition data. The city's mayor, Eduardo Paes, this week said a contingency plan to manually remove rubbish would be adopted if necessary.

OLYMPIC VILLAGE PROGRESS

Construction work on the Olympic village - one of the Games' key projects - is more than 75% complete. Officials say the complex is on track to be completed by December - more than eight months before the Games begin. Athletes can expect unprecedented levels of comfort with facilities like a health care center, a cafeteria for 5,000 diners and a gym. Apartments are also being fitted with athletes' highest demands in mind. They will feature larger showers, taller doorways and beds measuring 2.17 meters in length. After the Games the village will be transformed into a residential complex.

LEGACY IN SCHOOLS

A centerpiece of Rio 2016's bid to leave a positive legacy on the local population is its Transformer education program. The initiative aims to instill Olympic and Paralympic values in schools throughout Rio de Janeiro state and introduce them to previously unaccessible sports. An estimated 177,000 students from 349 schools have already participated in the program. Among sports to have been introduced and adopted in school curriculums are rugby, badminton, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, goalball and visually-impaired football. Transformer also includes a "young agents" training program for students identified as leaders. "In training, they learn all about the Olympic and Paralympic values," Rio 2016's head of education Mariana Behr said this week. "We also work with them on mobilization and leadership skills. When they go back to their schools, their mission is to spread the spirit of the Games among their friends and teachers."

LAST HURRAH

While the focus of attention has so far been on preparations, the spotlight will soon turn to the athletes themselves. And Rio 2016 is likely to provide no shortage of tear-jerking stories. Among them will be the likely Olympic swan-songs of US swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Phelps, who will be 31 at Rio 2016, has not confirmed if he will compete at the Games, but he is expected to do so after ending his retirement last August. At the very least, the winner of 18 gold medals is tipped to contest the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter butterfly. Bolt, who will turn 30 on the last day of the Games, has already said Rio will be his last Olympic appearance as he bids to add to his six gold medals.

NEW KIDS IN TOWN

The sense of anticipation has been heightened by the inclusion of three newcomers to the Games program. Rio 2016 will mark the Olympic debut of kitesurfing, which replaces windsurfing. The event - considered by many an extreme sport - will bring a spectacular new element to the Olympics with its aerial acrobatics above the choppy ocean swell. Meanwhile golf, last played at the Olympics in 1904, returns to the schedule while rugby sevens has been included, 92 years after 15-a-side rugby last featured. Endi