The Rio Olympics

My friends, this was taken from Sky News:

http://news.sky.com/story/four-us-olympic-swimmers-robbed-by-armed-men-in-rio-de-janeiro-10536812

The US Olympic Committee has said four swimmers, including multiple medallist Ryan Lochte, have been robbed by armed men in Rio.

Lochte, along with Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, were targeted as they made their way back to the Olympic Village in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In a statement, the USOC said: "Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes' money and other personal belongings."

All of the men are said to be safe and co-operating with the authorities.

A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee had earlier described claims that Lochte had been held up at gunpoint as "absolutely not true".

Lochte's mother, Ileana, had told USA Today that her son and the other sportsmen were "shaken up" after the incident.

Terrifying.

My friends, this was taken from Sky News:

http://news.sky.com/story/andy-murray-gold-caps-sensational-sunday-for-team-gb-in-rio-10536961

http://news.sky.com/story/usain-bolt-wins-third-olympic-100m-gold-in-rio-10537232

http://news.sky.com/story/russian-doping-whistleblower-yulia-stepanovas-records-illegally-accessed-wada-10536087

My friends, this was taken from The Portugal News newspaper:

http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/portugal-taste-olympic-success/39179

http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/portugal-through-to-olympic-football-quarter-finals/39147

Portugal through to Olympic football quarter-finals
IN SPORT · 11-08-2016 14:42:00 · 0 COMMENTS
The Portuguese football team have qualified top of their group in the Olympic Games.

The national side secured top spot after a 1-1 draw against Algeria. Portugal will next face Germany in the quarter-finals, with the kick off being at 5pm on Saturday afternoon.

Fingers crossed for you, Pedro.

Am so thrilled for Andy Murray and Usain Bolt.

bb1:

Austria wins first medal at Rio Olympics
17 Aug 2016
Austria received its first medal in the Rio Olympics yesterday after Thomas Zajac and Tanja Frank won bronze in the sailing.

The medal, won in the Mixed nacra 17 sailing race, is the first for Austria since the 2008 Peking Olympics.

Thomas Zajac, 30, and Tanja Frank, 23, both from Vienna, almost took silver after finishing the regatta with 78 points, the same as Australia.

They ended with bronze, however, after finishing third in the medal race, behind Australia's Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin.

It follows Austria’s previous medal in 2008 which was a bronze that went to Violetta Oblinger-Peters for the slalom canoe.

Speaking after their victory, Frank said: “We always believed in ourselves” with Zajac adding: “We stayed cool.”

The two have sailed together since 2012, with Frank learning the sport from the age of three when she started sailing on the Alte Donau.

Since then she has gone on to become a Junior World Champion, along with Austrian Lara Vadlau, and now has a bronze Olympic medal to add to her collection.

Zajac, whose father also competed in the Olympics for Poland back in 1980, has also seen earlier victories, coming second in 2009 in the World Championships for Tornado Catamaran Sailing.

Speaking after the victory, the pair's trainer Angelo Glisoni said: "I think I need now a couple of Caipirinha to realise it. We have worked hard to reach this result, it is a dream."

Well done!

bb1 wrote:Well done!

Vielen danke! Austria is really a winter sports country! LL

Europe's top Olympic official arrested in Rio over tickets sales
Police in Brazil have arrested the head of the European Olympic Committees, Irishman Patrick Hickey, in Rio over illegal Olympic ticket sales.

Mr Hickey, 71, is suspected of illegally passing on tickets for the Games to be sold on at extortionate prices, Brazilian media report.

Mr Hickey was taken to hospital after his arrest.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37107450

Maybe he thought the media was too interested in all the corruption going on in other places to bother with him?

There again, I hope he gets what is coming to him.

passing on tickets for the Games to be sold on at extortionate prices

What, with all those empty seats? Or are the glamour events sell-outs?

US swimmer Ryan Lochte to have 'passport seized by Brazilian authorities over false claims he was robbed'
Olympic medallist faced further questioning by police who found there is 'little evidence' the crime had taken place.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/swimmer-ryan-lochte-passport-seized-8650224#rlabs=1%20rt$sitewide%20p$1

An order has been made to seize American swimmer Ryan Lochte's passport by Brazilian authorities after claims he 'lied about being robbed.'

Earlier police had further questions for the swimmer - a 12-time Olympic medallist - about the robbery and found 'little evidence' that it had taken place.

Lochte revealed on Sunday that he was robbed along with Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen. All were left unharmed.

But police say the swimmers were unable to provide key details in police interviews.

There are now reports from Brazil that an order has been made to seize the swimmer's passport.

What on earth....???

EXCLUSIVE: Shaken Ryan Lochte seen in new security footage as he reached safety of athletes' village after gunpoint robbery by fake cops

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3743679/Ryan-Lochte-seen-rushing-Olympic-village-new-security-footage-just-robbed-gunpoint-5am-nightclub-party.html#ixzz4HdJr0C3B
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Or were they REAL cops, and Brazil is now frantically trying to cover it up/

We will find out?

It will be interesting to get to the truth, Lily. One possibility is that they were robbed by genuine policemen and Brazil wants to sweep it under the carpet.

The other possibility is that they somehow wandered, by accident, into one of those Brazilian 'spas' and were left cashless as a result.

Nice to see the Olympics helping with international friendship, etc.

Brazil Removes Two U.S. Olympic Swimmers From Flight
Wall Street Journal Aug. 18, 2016
Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger detained as police question discrepancies in Olympians’ account of armed robbery.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/two-u-s-olympic-swimmers-detained-by-police-at-rio-airport-1471487169

http://news.sky.com/story/ryan-lochte-gunpoint-robbery-us-swimmers-pulled-off-flight-10541359

A Brazilian police official has said that American swimmers - including Ryan Lochte - made up a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Associated Press that the two American Olympic swimmers who were removed from a flight to the US, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, admitted to fabricating the story.

The swimmers said they were robbed on Sunday as they travelled back to the Athletes' Village after a party at Club France - part of France's Olympic hospitality venue, a claim that has been questioned by police.

According to the unnamed official, the swimmers stopped at a petrol station, where they broke a locked bathroom door.

A security guard then confronted them, and after the station manager arrived, the swimmers paid him an unknown amount of money to pay for the door before leaving, the official said.

Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were taken off a flight back to the US hours after a judge ordered gold medallist Ryan Lochte and his teammate Jimmy Feigen to stay in the country as police investigate their story.

Earlier, the swimmers were described as "kids" who deserve "a break", by a spokesman for the Games.

Speaking about the athletes, Rio spokesman Mario Andrada said: "They are competing under gigantic pressure. Let's give these kids a break - sometimes you take actions that you later regret.

"They had fun. They made a mistake. Life goes on," the spokesman added.

Lochte's father has confirmed he returned to the US on Tuesday, while Feigen is reportedly still in Brazil....etc.

Bizarre.

In a dramatic press conference, Police Inspector Alexandre Braga said:
Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were not robbed and were not the victims of a crime at a gas station in Barra da Tijuca shortly after 6am on Sunday
The men were seen on video camera urinating on a wall and then causing destruction and vandalism to the bathroom at the establishment
There was then a clash between the group and employees, which Bentz or Conger told authorities on Thursday was led by a 'highly intoxicated' Lochte, something other witnesses confirmed
Their cab driver was told by employees to not leave and that police were being called to the scene, at which point two of the men began to walk away and a security guard pulled his gun telling them to stay
The men eventually paid employees at the gas station $20 and 100 reais (approximately $30) and were allowed to leave the scene
Police have spoken to Bentz and Conger as well as Lochte on the phone and they will be speaking to Feigen later in the day on Thursday
The men were with two women whose identities are unknown and police believe this may have been their motive in hiding what happened since they could have girlfriends
The men could face charges for lying to police and destroying property and the FBI has said they are willing to help Brazilian law enforcement
The judge who allowed the swimmers to be held for questioning will determine when they can leave the country, but as far as police are concerned Bentz and Conger are free to go


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3747442/The-truth-told-drunk-Video-shows-Lyin-Ryan-swimmers-destroying-gas-station-bathroom-Brazilian-police-furiously-deny-robbery-claims-brazen-Lochte-laughs-social-media.html#ixzz4HjY6aTbW
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Looks like they had been to a 'Brazilian spa'.

Problems arise: At 6:08am this time-stamped video caught the men as they rushed away from the bathroom at a gas station and ran to their car

Oops!

While Team GB might be celebrating being second on the medals table, China's media is decidedly unhappy with its country's Olympic performance.

"You're kidding me?" state news agency Xinhua wrote (in a now-deleted post) on its official Twitter feed.

"The country which has never finished above China, is about to."

Olympic success is a point of pride for the Communist-run nation and athletes who perform well tend to be widely celebrated in the media.

The ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily was particularly upset with the performance of the Chinese gymnasts, who take home just two bronze medals. ore at link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/37104243/chinas-media-is-not-happy-with-its-olympic-athletes-medal-total

Ah, diddums, how dare those pesky Brits be above the Chinese? Tuff, mate, easy answer is the Brits are better than you!! LL