As the countdown begins for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the hype is gradually intensifying once again.

“I’m looking forward to watching the two of the most watched athletes this year: the gymnasts and the divers,” junior Nelly Nazarian said.

The opening ceremony will be held on Aug. 5 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It starts the event followed by 16 days of different sport competitions.

“I’m just excited to see the best athletes all around the world compete against each other and maybe break new records,” junior Jonas Acebes said.

It will be comprised of 306 events varying from water sports to contact sports in which elite athletes across the globe will be competing against one another to earn a gold medal for their country.

As the Olympic competitions continue to increase, there are two relatively new sports being added: golf and rugby 7s. It is the first time that golf is featured in the Olympics since 1904 and rugby to be featured since 1924.

“I think golf and rugby being added to the Olympics is interesting… It’s strange but it’s going to be interesting to see how other countries will do in the sports,” sophomore Jordan Hirsch said.

While there is an overwhelming con- cern regarding the Zika virus, director general of the World Health Organization ad- dressed the issue at a briefing in Geneva on May 17 by emphasizing the mild symptoms of the virus. The attendees are encouraged to wear insect repellents and adequate clothing to prevent mosquito bites.

“You don’t want to being a standstill to the world’s movement of people.. This is all about risk assessment and risk management,” Chan said as quoted by the Associated Press in “Zika virus should not stop Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, health official says.”