The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, on Sunday (August 14) said he reacted with disbelief when he heard his teammate Ryan Lochte had been involved in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro and confirmed to reporters that he was not present when the incident took place. 
 
US gold medalist Lochte said armed robbers posing as police officers held a gun to his forehead in a taxi hold-up in Rio after a party early on Sunday. 
 
&quot;For me I&#39;ve been to Brazil multiple times and I&#39;ve felt safe every time I&#39;ve come here. I&#39;ve never felt an issue. I wasn&#39;t there last night, I was with my family all night long, that was the most important thing to me,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But I was definitely not there last night, I was dead asleep,&quot; added Phelps. 
 
Lochte told NBC&#39;s Today Show he was returning to the Olympic village from a party hosted by the French Games delegation, with swimming team mates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over. 
 
The men told the swimmers to drop to the ground and demanded their money and belongings, but Lochte said he had initially refused to go to ground. 
 
Security has been a major headache for organisers of South America&#39;s first Olympics. 
 
&quot;I kind of said excuse me, I couldn&#39;t believe it,&quot; recalled Phelps about when he heard about the robbery on Sunday. 
 
Separately, Phelps also called for tougher action on athletes who take performance enhancing drugs, weighing in on the doping controversies that have plagued Rio 2016. 
 
&quot;We have kids looking up to these athletes that are competing and I feel like all athletes should keep clean and if you don&#39;t, there should be a price, he said. 
 
Phelp&#39;s said he left the Olympic pool for the last time on Saturday having fulfilled a childhood dream, but it is clear he will not be walking away from the sport that has turned him into a global household name. 
 
&quot;I am done competing but by no means does this mean that it&#39;s the end of my career. It&#39;s the start of something new and that&#39;s something I look forward to. So you know Ryan [Lochte] may come back in another four years but I&#39;m not. This is it,&quot; he said. 
 
Phelps&#39; swimming career ended with his 23rd gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay medal on Saturday, which extended his record as the most decorated Olympian of all-time. 
 
(AFP)

'For me I've been to Brazil multiple times and I've felt safe every time I've come here. I've never felt an issue,' he added

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, on Sunday (August 14) said he reacted with disbelief when he heard his teammate Ryan Lochte had been involved in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro and confirmed to reporters that he was not present when the incident took place. US gold medalist Lochte said armed robbers posing as police officers held a gun to his forehead in a taxi hold-up in Rio after a party early on Sunday. "For me I've been to Brazil multiple times and I've felt safe every time I've come here. I've never felt an issue. I wasn't there last night, I was with my family all night long, that was the most important thing to me," he said. "But I was definitely not there last night, I was dead asleep," added Phelps. Lochte told NBC's Today Show he was returning to the Olympic village from a party hosted by the French Games delegation, with swimming team mates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over. The men told the swimmers to drop to the ground and demanded their money and belongings, but Lochte said he had initially refused to go to ground. Security has been a major headache for organisers of South America's first Olympics. "I kind of said excuse me, I couldn't believe it," recalled Phelps about when he heard about the robbery on Sunday. Separately, Phelps also called for tougher action on athletes who take performance enhancing drugs, weighing in on the doping controversies that have plagued Rio 2016. "We have kids looking up to these athletes that are competing and I feel like all athletes should keep clean and if you don't, there should be a price, he said. Phelp's said he left the Olympic pool for the last time on Saturday having fulfilled a childhood dream, but it is clear he will not be walking away from the sport that has turned him into a global household name. "I am done competing but by no means does this mean that it's the end of my career. It's the start of something new and that's something I look forward to. So you know Ryan [Lochte] may come back in another four years but I'm not. This is it," he said. Phelps' swimming career ended with his 23rd gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay medal on Saturday, which extended his record as the most decorated Olympian of all-time. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: 'I couldn't believe it', says Phelps of Lochte's taxi hold-up

Maria do Socorro curses the Olympic Games as another bus rumbles over a new elevated highway that passes by her slum in Rio de Janeiro, sending a tremor through her brittle brick house and slowly tears apart her home and community. 
 
She is a resident in the small Vila Uniao shantytown of 900 homes, just 2 kilometres north of the Olympic Village, where 368 families were removed to make way for the Transolimpica BRT bus route linking two main zones for the Games. 
 
Silva&#39;s home sits in the shadow of the massive BRT overpass, and it, like the brittle brick houses next to it, rattles ever so slightly each time an Olympic bus carrying athletes, fans and media rumbles overhead. 
 
Maria do Socorro, a 45-year-old beautician in the Favela, said the invasive construction works are another problem on a list of worsening issues. 
 
&quot;We used to live calmly. Now, we are constantly tensed. Nobody can sleep. There are lots of killings, death, shootings, things we didn&#39;t see before, and now with these works going on, things are very tense. It used to be a pleasure living here, everyone knew each other, we had parties, we did everything here inside the community, but nobody wants to do anything anymore because we don&#39;t know how things are going to be, what it is going to be like here inside,&quot; said Socorro. 
 
The rumblings of traffic and the construction of the overpass is what Silva and others blame for ever-growing cracks in walls and ceilings tumbling down in the homes that did not succumb to a bulldozer for the highway. 
 
The residents who were not transferred to government housing to make way for the BRT said what they are now demanding is city help with their homes that are crumbling because of the heavy construction just metres away from their front doors. 
 
 
BRTs were constructed to benefit the poorest populations: Mayor&nbsp; 
 
The mayor&#39;s office strongly defends the BRT that cuts through Vila Uniao, and two other similar bus lines as creating desperately needed public transport. 
 
The BRTs &quot;were constructed to benefit, above all, the poorest populations in western Rio. It&#39;s an important legacy for those who use buses daily,&quot; the mayor&#39;s office said in an emailed statement. 
 
Critics decry the BRTs as inefficient modes of transport and point out all of them run to the newer and wealthy Barra neighbourhood. It is the main Olympic zone that has seen billions in reais in real estate development built for the Games, and is the home turf of Mayor Eduardo Paes, who began his political career there. 
 
Christopher Gaffney, with the University of Zurich&#39;s geography department and whose research has specialised on the impact the World Cup and Olympics have had on Brazil, labelled the BRTs as &quot;retrograde transport modes through dense neighbourhoods and ecological reserves&quot; that are not even considered mass transport. 
 
He and others argue the far better plan would have been to expand Rio&#39;s existing metro system to the densely populated areas that most need it - not extending it from the rich Ipanema neighbourhood to Barra, the main Olympic transport legacy project. 
 
That would have eliminated much of the need for what watchdog groups say are the 20,000 families forced to relocate since late 2009 for Olympic and World Cup works and legacy projects. The mayor&#39;s office has argued that 15,000 of those families were moved because they lived in &quot;high risk&quot; areas mostly in danger of mudslides and floods. 
 
&quot;They convinced us that we would have to leave, alleging that we were living in a risk area, that we had to move to a legal property, but when the location of the works moved, all of that disappeared, we are no longer in a risk area, we no longer need to live in a legal property. It is complicated, it is a real issue for lots of us here, me included,&quot; said resident Janaina Assis, 39. 
 
&quot;I think that after the Olympics, (the authorities) might just give us a little bit of attention, tricking us, because of the elections coming up, but after that I think they will abandon us. So many favelas in Rio are abandoned, I think they are just sweeping the rubbish under the rug,&quot; she added. 
 
They also want the city to make good on a promise to provide basic sanitation to the community, where all household waste flows into a putrid stream running along the slum. It regularly overflows during Rio&#39;s rainy season, sending raw sewage into homes and streets. 
 
Anger is palatable in Vila Uniao and it is near the shantytown that at least three Olympic buses have been hit by projectiles while speeding down the road, according to a high-level security source who spoke to Reuters on condition his name not be used because he was not authorised to discuss the matter. 
 
One of those buses carried journalists earlier this week when two of its windows were shattered by what some on board swear was gunfire, but authorities say was stones, likely shot at the bus by slingshots. 
 
In interviews with more than 15 residents and community leaders of Vila Uniao, none said they heard any gunfire when the media bus was hit on Tuesday night. But all said they would not be surprised if the buses were targeted by rocks slung by young men in the community, acts all the residents roundly denounced. 
 
(Reuters)

'We used to live calmly. Now, we are constantly tensed. Nobody can sleep, there are lots of killings, death, shootings'

Maria do Socorro curses the Olympic Games as another bus rumbles over a new elevated highway that passes by her slum in Rio de Janeiro, sending a tremor through her brittle brick house and slowly tears apart her home and community. She is a resident in the small Vila Uniao shantytown of 900 homes, just 2 kilometres north of the Olympic Village, where 368 families were removed to make way for the Transolimpica BRT bus route linking two main zones for the Games. Silva's home sits in the shadow of the massive BRT overpass, and it, like the brittle brick houses next to it, rattles ever so slightly each time an Olympic bus carrying athletes, fans and media rumbles overhead. Maria do Socorro, a 45-year-old beautician in the Favela, said the invasive construction works are another problem on a list of worsening issues. "We used to live calmly. Now, we are constantly tensed. Nobody can sleep. There are lots of killings, death, shootings, things we didn't see before, and now with these works going on, things are very tense. It used to be a pleasure living here, everyone knew each other, we had parties, we did everything here inside the community, but nobody wants to do anything anymore because we don't know how things are going to be, what it is going to be like here inside," said Socorro. The rumblings of traffic and the construction of the overpass is what Silva and others blame for ever-growing cracks in walls and ceilings tumbling down in the homes that did not succumb to a bulldozer for the highway. The residents who were not transferred to government housing to make way for the BRT said what they are now demanding is city help with their homes that are crumbling because of the heavy construction just metres away from their front doors. BRTs were constructed to benefit the poorest populations: Mayor The mayor's office strongly defends the BRT that cuts through Vila Uniao, and two other similar bus lines as creating desperately needed public transport. The BRTs "were constructed to benefit, above all, the poorest populations in western Rio. It's an important legacy for those who use buses daily," the mayor's office said in an emailed statement. Critics decry the BRTs as inefficient modes of transport and point out all of them run to the newer and wealthy Barra neighbourhood. It is the main Olympic zone that has seen billions in reais in real estate development built for the Games, and is the home turf of Mayor Eduardo Paes, who began his political career there. Christopher Gaffney, with the University of Zurich's geography department and whose research has specialised on the impact the World Cup and Olympics have had on Brazil, labelled the BRTs as "retrograde transport modes through dense neighbourhoods and ecological reserves" that are not even considered mass transport. He and others argue the far better plan would have been to expand Rio's existing metro system to the densely populated areas that most need it - not extending it from the rich Ipanema neighbourhood to Barra, the main Olympic transport legacy project. That would have eliminated much of the need for what watchdog groups say are the 20,000 families forced to relocate since late 2009 for Olympic and World Cup works and legacy projects. The mayor's office has argued that 15,000 of those families were moved because they lived in "high risk" areas mostly in danger of mudslides and floods. "They convinced us that we would have to leave, alleging that we were living in a risk area, that we had to move to a legal property, but when the location of the works moved, all of that disappeared, we are no longer in a risk area, we no longer need to live in a legal property. It is complicated, it is a real issue for lots of us here, me included," said resident Janaina Assis, 39. "I think that after the Olympics, (the authorities) might just give us a little bit of attention, tricking us, because of the elections coming up, but after that I think they will abandon us. So many favelas in Rio are abandoned, I think they are just sweeping the rubbish under the rug," she added. They also want the city to make good on a promise to provide basic sanitation to the community, where all household waste flows into a putrid stream running along the slum. It regularly overflows during Rio's rainy season, sending raw sewage into homes and streets. Anger is palatable in Vila Uniao and it is near the shantytown that at least three Olympic buses have been hit by projectiles while speeding down the road, according to a high-level security source who spoke to Reuters on condition his name not be used because he was not authorised to discuss the matter. One of those buses carried journalists earlier this week when two of its windows were shattered by what some on board swear was gunfire, but authorities say was stones, likely shot at the bus by slingshots. In interviews with more than 15 residents and community leaders of Vila Uniao, none said they heard any gunfire when the media bus was hit on Tuesday night. But all said they would not be surprised if the buses were targeted by rocks slung by young men in the community, acts all the residents roundly denounced. (Reuters)

Dwellers in neighbourhood slum curse lavish Olympics infrastructure

Forget beach volleyball, tennis or soccer, not to mention the javelin or discus. Pokemon Go is challenging the Olympics for most popular game among some young Brazilians. 
 
Hundreds of them turned out in a Rio de Janeiro park on Saturday (August 13) holding their mobile phones to hunt for virtual creatures in the hyper-reality game app that has become a craze in Brazil since its release in Brazil two days before the Games. 
 
&quot;I watched a match in the Engenhao stadium but then when I knew that Pokemon game was launched I didn&#39;t care any more about the Olympics. I&#39;m not even turning my TV on to watch it. Now it&#39;s only Pokemon, we are breathing Pokemon,&quot; said student Lourdes Drummond at the Quinta da Boa Vista park, once the gardens of the Brazilian royal family. 
 
The blockbuster game developed by Niantic, in which Nintendo Co has a large stake, uses augmented reality and GPS mapping to make animated characters appear in the real world. Players see creatures overlaid on the nearby landscape that they see through a mobile phone camera. 
 
Brazil&#39;s third largest mobile phone company Claro estimates that close to 2 million of its users have downloaded the game just in the Rio area since it was released on August 3. An executive of the company owned by Carlos Slim&#39;s America Movil Am?rica M?vil said more than half of those users have been inside or near Olympic venues hunting for Pokemons. 
 
As Rio residents rode paddle boats on the lake of the Boa Vista park, youths explored the grounds seeking the Dragon Knight and other prized Pokemons to add to their collection. They huddled in the shade of the 19th Century royal palace to exchange notes. 
 
&quot;A simple thing like a game changes a lot the way we use public spaces, but we still cannot know how long it will continue to keep people&#39;s attention. But the interesting thing is really that something small like a game manages to change these places in such a short period of time,&quot; said sociologist, Joao Carlos Barssani, 31, himself joining the hunt. 
 
When a boy shouted &quot;I found one!&quot; dozens sprinted after him in pursuit. 
 
It may not be a physical sport, but the novelty of Pokemon Go is the mobility involved compared to traditional video games. You have to get up and go outside to search your city, cellphone in hand to accumulate as many Pokemons as you can. 
 
&quot;I always go straight from work to home and home to work. And now thanks to this game I am going out, and if my mum asks me to go out to buy something I am happy to go. With all happiness in the world because I can play,&quot; said Rafael Moura Barros, a computer technician who believes the game will help reduce obesity in Brazil. 
 
Barssani said the game is changing the way Brazilians are using their urban space in cities long plagued with high crime rates. People are frequenting parks and squares that had been abandoned for fear of getting mugged, he said. 
 
(Reuters)

The blockbuster game uses augmented reality and GPS mapping to make animated creatures appear in the real world

Forget beach volleyball, tennis or soccer, not to mention the javelin or discus. Pokemon Go is challenging the Olympics for most popular game among some young Brazilians. Hundreds of them turned out in a Rio de Janeiro park on Saturday (August 13) holding their mobile phones to hunt for virtual creatures in the hyper-reality game app that has become a craze in Brazil since its release in Brazil two days before the Games. "I watched a match in the Engenhao stadium but then when I knew that Pokemon game was launched I didn't care any more about the Olympics. I'm not even turning my TV on to watch it. Now it's only Pokemon, we are breathing Pokemon," said student Lourdes Drummond at the Quinta da Boa Vista park, once the gardens of the Brazilian royal family. The blockbuster game developed by Niantic, in which Nintendo Co has a large stake, uses augmented reality and GPS mapping to make animated characters appear in the real world. Players see creatures overlaid on the nearby landscape that they see through a mobile phone camera. Brazil's third largest mobile phone company Claro estimates that close to 2 million of its users have downloaded the game just in the Rio area since it was released on August 3. An executive of the company owned by Carlos Slim's America Movil Am?rica M?vil said more than half of those users have been inside or near Olympic venues hunting for Pokemons. As Rio residents rode paddle boats on the lake of the Boa Vista park, youths explored the grounds seeking the Dragon Knight and other prized Pokemons to add to their collection. They huddled in the shade of the 19th Century royal palace to exchange notes. "A simple thing like a game changes a lot the way we use public spaces, but we still cannot know how long it will continue to keep people's attention. But the interesting thing is really that something small like a game manages to change these places in such a short period of time," said sociologist, Joao Carlos Barssani, 31, himself joining the hunt. When a boy shouted "I found one!" dozens sprinted after him in pursuit. It may not be a physical sport, but the novelty of Pokemon Go is the mobility involved compared to traditional video games. You have to get up and go outside to search your city, cellphone in hand to accumulate as many Pokemons as you can. "I always go straight from work to home and home to work. And now thanks to this game I am going out, and if my mum asks me to go out to buy something I am happy to go. With all happiness in the world because I can play," said Rafael Moura Barros, a computer technician who believes the game will help reduce obesity in Brazil. Barssani said the game is changing the way Brazilians are using their urban space in cities long plagued with high crime rates. People are frequenting parks and squares that had been abandoned for fear of getting mugged, he said. (Reuters)

Pokemon Go challenges Olympics at Rio

The Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team were eliminated from the Rio Olympics after producing another listless performance as they suffered a 5-0 defeat to second-ranked Argentina in their final Group B match here on Saturday. Despite holding their Argentine counterparts to 0-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Indian eves failed to fend off their opposition further at the Olympic Hockey Centre. 
 
The opener finally came in the 16th minute via Argentina`s Martina Cavallero. India had a chance almost immediately, Lilima Minz from their first PC drawing a save from Belen Succi in Argentina`s goal.From there on the Argentines took the game by the scruff of the neck, with a flurry of goals, from Granatto (23), Rebecchi (26), Agustina Albertarrio (27) before Cavallero scored her second (29). They went into half time leading 5-0.India had a succession of PCs at the end of the quarter, and Rani`s attempt off the second was blocked away by Argentina. 
 
India, despite being down were playing adventurous hockey, and a minute later, Poonam Rani brought out a save from Argentina`s substitute goalkeeper Maria Mutio.A minute later it was Namita Toppo with an attempt, and then Anuradha Thokchom with a diving deflection, Mutio pulling off a double save. There were initial doubts about the save though, India referring to see if it had crossed the line. A lack of a good view for the video umpire would mean the on field umpire&#39;s decision would stay. India would keep their referral though. Despite the scoreline, India would go into the final break knowing they had grabbed a bit of momentum in the final minutes of the quarter.That momentum carried through to the final quarter, India dominant in the opening exchanges. 
 
Soon enough Mutio was the busier goalkeeper, pulling off saves from Deepika and Vandana Katariya. India had a PC soon after, but Rani`s PC was blocked by the Argentine chargers. Against the run of play, Argentina pressed forward, and almost had their sixth, denied by some superb last ditch defending by Deep Grace Ekka.India pressed on in the closing stages, by now looking for a consolation. Argentina held out though to end up as 5-0 winners.Speaking after the game, chief coach Neil Hawgood said, &quot;We played very strong and good hockey for the majority of the match and fashioned chances too. But a brief spell where we seemed to switch off cost us heavily in the second quarter. It&#39;s a great experience for the team, the entire Olympics and shows how far we have come and also have to go. The experience will inspire more presence at big tournaments and good performances out of them.&quot; 
 
(ANI)

The team suffered a 5-0 defeat to second-ranked Argentina in their final Group B match on Saturday

The Indian women’s hockey team were eliminated from the Rio Olympics after producing another listless performance as they suffered a 5-0 defeat to second-ranked Argentina in their final Group B match here on Saturday. Despite holding their Argentine counterparts to 0-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Indian eves failed to fend off their opposition further at the Olympic Hockey Centre. The opener finally came in the 16th minute via Argentina`s Martina Cavallero. India had a chance almost immediately, Lilima Minz from their first PC drawing a save from Belen Succi in Argentina`s goal.From there on the Argentines took the game by the scruff of the neck, with a flurry of goals, from Granatto (23), Rebecchi (26), Agustina Albertarrio (27) before Cavallero scored her second (29). They went into half time leading 5-0.India had a succession of PCs at the end of the quarter, and Rani`s attempt off the second was blocked away by Argentina. India, despite being down were playing adventurous hockey, and a minute later, Poonam Rani brought out a save from Argentina`s substitute goalkeeper Maria Mutio.A minute later it was Namita Toppo with an attempt, and then Anuradha Thokchom with a diving deflection, Mutio pulling off a double save. There were initial doubts about the save though, India referring to see if it had crossed the line. A lack of a good view for the video umpire would mean the on field umpire's decision would stay. India would keep their referral though. Despite the scoreline, India would go into the final break knowing they had grabbed a bit of momentum in the final minutes of the quarter.That momentum carried through to the final quarter, India dominant in the opening exchanges. Soon enough Mutio was the busier goalkeeper, pulling off saves from Deepika and Vandana Katariya. India had a PC soon after, but Rani`s PC was blocked by the Argentine chargers. Against the run of play, Argentina pressed forward, and almost had their sixth, denied by some superb last ditch defending by Deep Grace Ekka.India pressed on in the closing stages, by now looking for a consolation. Argentina held out though to end up as 5-0 winners.Speaking after the game, chief coach Neil Hawgood said, "We played very strong and good hockey for the majority of the match and fashioned chances too. But a brief spell where we seemed to switch off cost us heavily in the second quarter. It's a great experience for the team, the entire Olympics and shows how far we have come and also have to go. The experience will inspire more presence at big tournaments and good performances out of them." (ANI)

Indian women?s hockey team exits Rio Olympics

Ethiopia&#39;s Etenesh Diro got tangled up with two other runners in Saturday&#39;s 3,000m women&#39;s Olympic steeplechase and stopped to tear off her damaged right shoe and sock, but she kept on running to finish seventh. 
 
Diro, a 25-year-old who finished fifth in the event at the 2012 London Games, broke down in tears after finishing in 9 minutes 34.7 seconds, more than 20 seconds off her personal best. 
 
But it did not mark the end of her Rio Olympics after officials granted her a spot in Monday&#39;s final. The International Association of Athletics Federations also cleared Ireland&#39;s Sara Louise Treacy and Jamaica&#39;s Aisha Praught to run in the final after reviewing video replays of the race following protests by their teams. 
 
Australia&#39;s Genevieve Lacaze, who finished second with a time of 9:26.5 to qualify for the next round, complained that the mishap had obstructed the track. 
 
&quot;She was like a road block,&quot; the 27-year-old said. 
 
&quot;Someone ripped out her heel and, instead of getting out of the way - I guess you don&#39;t think about others too much when you&#39;re in the Olympics - she just stopped and was a roadblock for about four girls.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Etenesh Diro, who finished 20 seconds behind her personal best, has been granted a spot in Monday?s final

Ethiopia's Etenesh Diro got tangled up with two other runners in Saturday's 3,000m women's Olympic steeplechase and stopped to tear off her damaged right shoe and sock, but she kept on running to finish seventh. Diro, a 25-year-old who finished fifth in the event at the 2012 London Games, broke down in tears after finishing in 9 minutes 34.7 seconds, more than 20 seconds off her personal best. But it did not mark the end of her Rio Olympics after officials granted her a spot in Monday's final. The International Association of Athletics Federations also cleared Ireland's Sara Louise Treacy and Jamaica's Aisha Praught to run in the final after reviewing video replays of the race following protests by their teams. Australia's Genevieve Lacaze, who finished second with a time of 9:26.5 to qualify for the next round, complained that the mishap had obstructed the track. "She was like a road block," the 27-year-old said. "Someone ripped out her heel and, instead of getting out of the way - I guess you don't think about others too much when you're in the Olympics - she just stopped and was a roadblock for about four girls." (Reuters)

Ethiopian athlete damages shoe during run, goes on to finish seventh

Patrick Bordier, physiotherapist with the&nbsp;French&nbsp;national tennis team since 2014, collapsed and died in Rio on Friday, the president of France&#39;s Olympic Committee (CNOSF) said.

&quot;Patrick Bordier died suddenly this afternoon,&quot; CNOSF president Denis Masseglia said at a ceremony with France&#39;s medal winners.

&quot;Patrick Bordier was a friend and someone at the service of athletes,&quot; he added.

(AFP)

Team's physiotherapist Patrick Bordier collapsed and died but the reason has not been confirmed yet

Patrick Bordier, physiotherapist with the French national tennis team since 2014, collapsed and died in Rio on Friday, the president of France's Olympic Committee (CNOSF) said. "Patrick Bordier died suddenly this afternoon," CNOSF president Denis Masseglia said at a ceremony with France's medal winners. "Patrick Bordier was a friend and someone at the service of athletes," he added. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: French tennis team physio dies

Ethiopia&#39;s Almaz Ayana smashed the world record to win the Olympic 10,000 metres title on Friday, blowing away the competition in one of the greatest ever long-distance races at the Games.

In only her second competitive 10,000m, Ayana dominated from the start and halfway through the race she surged away from the leading pack, injecting staggering pace to finish in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds.

Her time was 14 seconds inside the 29:31.78 set by China&#39;s Wang Junxia in 1993.

&quot;This means everything to me,&quot; Ayana told reporters. &quot;Getting to this point is a dream come true, I never thought it would happen and I&#39;m so in awe.&quot;

It was the first time in seven years that a female athlete had run 10,000m in under 30 minutes and the first four all achieved the feat. The first 13 women across the line clocked personal bests, including five national records.

Kenya&#39;s world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot tried in vain to keep up with Ayana but had to settle for silver while Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, the defending Olympic champion, grabbed bronze.

All three women ran inside the old Olympic 10,000m record.

Ayana&#39;s time was even more astonishing because it was set at the Olympics where races tend to be cagey, tactical affairs and long-distance records are rarely broken.

&quot;When I saw the world record set in 1993, I couldn&#39;t believe what I was seeing. And Ayana has absolutely blitzed that time,&quot; Paula Radcliffe, the former British runner who still holds the women&#39;s marathon world record, told the BBC.

&quot;I&#39;m not sure that I can understand that.&quot;

Ayana&#39;s opponents were also stunned and Swedish runner Sarah Lahti, who finished 12th, questioned the Ethiopian&#39;s performance.

But Ayana, who comes from a religious family, fiercely rejected any suggestions of doping at a news conference after the race.

&quot;My doping is my training, my doping is Jesus. I&rsquo;m crystal clear,&quot; she said through an interpreter.

Cheruiyot, Kenya&#39;s most decorated female athlete, also fell short in the 2012 London Games where she took bronze, meaning the east African country&#39;s wait for its first women&#39;s 10,000m gold medallist continues.

The 31-year-old Dibaba, who returned in 2016 from a two-year layoff following the birth of her son, was seeking to become the first woman in Olympic history to win an individual athletics event three times in a row.

Ayana will now turn her attention to her preferred 5,000m distance, in which she is favourite to win and become only the second woman after Dibaba to claim gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 in the same Games.

The 24-year-old won the 5,000m title at the 2015 Beijing world championships and in June came within four seconds of breaking Dibaba&#39;s 5,000m world record set in 2008.

(Reuters)

In only her second competitive 10,000 m, Ayana dominated from the start finishing in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds

Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana smashed the world record to win the Olympic 10,000 metres title on Friday, blowing away the competition in one of the greatest ever long-distance races at the Games. In only her second competitive 10,000m, Ayana dominated from the start and halfway through the race she surged away from the leading pack, injecting staggering pace to finish in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds. Her time was 14 seconds inside the 29:31.78 set by China's Wang Junxia in 1993. "This means everything to me," Ayana told reporters. "Getting to this point is a dream come true, I never thought it would happen and I'm so in awe." It was the first time in seven years that a female athlete had run 10,000m in under 30 minutes and the first four all achieved the feat. The first 13 women across the line clocked personal bests, including five national records. Kenya's world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot tried in vain to keep up with Ayana but had to settle for silver while Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, the defending Olympic champion, grabbed bronze. All three women ran inside the old Olympic 10,000m record. Ayana's time was even more astonishing because it was set at the Olympics where races tend to be cagey, tactical affairs and long-distance records are rarely broken. "When I saw the world record set in 1993, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And Ayana has absolutely blitzed that time," Paula Radcliffe, the former British runner who still holds the women's marathon world record, told the BBC. "I'm not sure that I can understand that." Ayana's opponents were also stunned and Swedish runner Sarah Lahti, who finished 12th, questioned the Ethiopian's performance. But Ayana, who comes from a religious family, fiercely rejected any suggestions of doping at a news conference after the race. "My doping is my training, my doping is Jesus. I’m crystal clear," she said through an interpreter. Cheruiyot, Kenya's most decorated female athlete, also fell short in the 2012 London Games where she took bronze, meaning the east African country's wait for its first women's 10,000m gold medallist continues. The 31-year-old Dibaba, who returned in 2016 from a two-year layoff following the birth of her son, was seeking to become the first woman in Olympic history to win an individual athletics event three times in a row. Ayana will now turn her attention to her preferred 5,000m distance, in which she is favourite to win and become only the second woman after Dibaba to claim gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 in the same Games. The 24-year-old won the 5,000m title at the 2015 Beijing world championships and in June came within four seconds of breaking Dibaba's 5,000m world record set in 2008. (Reuters)

Ethiopia's Ayana breaks 10,000m world record by 14 seconds

Police arrested two people on Thursday suspected of supporting Islamic State in planning a possible attack during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Police had arrested 12 people before Thursday&#39;s operation, all suspected of collaboration with Islamic State militants. Brazil&#39;s federal police said three others have been interrogated and later released. The two arrested on Thursday were Brazilians, but police did not provide names or other details. 
 
Although Brazil has no history of conflict with known militant groups, the government has said the Games made the country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting Islamic State. 
 
Its militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and a U.S.-led coalition has conducted air strikes against them. The group has supporters worldwide who have carried out shootings and bombings of civilians. 
 
(Reuters)

The police had earlier arrested 12 others for their alleged links to the Islamic State

Police arrested two people on Thursday suspected of supporting Islamic State in planning a possible attack during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Police had arrested 12 people before Thursday's operation, all suspected of collaboration with Islamic State militants. Brazil's federal police said three others have been interrogated and later released. The two arrested on Thursday were Brazilians, but police did not provide names or other details. Although Brazil has no history of conflict with known militant groups, the government has said the Games made the country a more likely target, particularly because of participation by countries fighting Islamic State. Its militants control parts of Iraq and Syria and a U.S.-led coalition has conducted air strikes against them. The group has supporters worldwide who have carried out shootings and bombings of civilians. (Reuters)

Two suspects arrested for planning IS-backed attack at Olympics

American shooter Kim Rhode won the bronze medal in women&#39;s skeet shooting on Friday, an honour that puts her in an elite record-holding group of just five other Olympic athletes who have won a medal in six different Olympic Games.

The 37-year-old from California and three-time gold medallist also becomes the first sportswoman in history to win medals in six consecutive Olympic Games. 
 
(Reuters)

Her medal puts her in an elite record-holding group of just five other Olympic athletes who have won a medal in six different Olympic Games

American shooter Kim Rhode won the bronze medal in women's skeet shooting on Friday, an honour that puts her in an elite record-holding group of just five other Olympic athletes who have won a medal in six different Olympic Games. The 37-year-old from California and three-time gold medallist also becomes the first sportswoman in history to win medals in six consecutive Olympic Games. (Reuters)

American Rhode wins record sixth medal in six Games

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women&#39;s 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport&#39;s (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. 
 
The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations&#39; (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. 
 
It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. 
 
She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. 
 
&quot;I am really happy at the moment,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off.&nbsp;I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off.&quot; 
 
The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India&#39;s contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF&#39;s guidelines. 
 
She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. 
 
South Africa&#39;s former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. 
 
The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. 
 
(Reuters)

Chand was dropped from Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after her high testosterone levels were found

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand made the cut for the women's 100m at the Rio Olympics today, less than a year after she was cleared to race following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling on gender testing guidelines. The Lausanne-based court suspended the governing International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) regulations regarding hyperandrogenism, a condition which produces high testosterone levels, for two years. It cleared the way for Chand to compete again in both domestic and international events after she was forced to sit out about a year of competition. She clocked a national record 11.30 seconds in the 100m heats at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to qualify for the Rio Games, the qualifying mark for which was set at 11.32. "I am really happy at the moment," she said in a statement. "It has been a tough year for me and I am so happy that my coach ... and my hard work has paid off. I would like to thank all the people in India who were praying for me to qualify. Your wishes have paid off." The daughter of weavers from Odisha, Chand was dropped from India's contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in Incheon after her naturally-occurring testosterone levels were found to be in breach of IAAF's guidelines. She was advised to have surgery and take medication, but instead decided to challenge the guidelines at CAS, who asked the IAAF to present scientific evidence proving enhanced testosterone levels improved performance in hyperandrogenic athletes. South Africa's former world champion 800m runner Caster Semenya was also subjected to gender testing by the IAAF before being cleared to compete as a woman. The Rio Olympics take place from August 5-21. (Reuters)

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand qualifies for Rio Olympics following ruling on gender testing

The world&#39;s top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August&#39;s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife&#39;s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,&quot; the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk,&quot; the 28-year-old Day added. 
 
Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji&#39;s Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. 
 
The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since 1904, but a number of top names have withdrawn over Zika fears

The world's top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. "The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family," the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. "While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk," the 28-year-old Day added. Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji's Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. (Reuters)

Top-ranked golfer Jason Day pulls out of Olympics over Zika concerns

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month&#39;s Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. 
 
American Spieth&#39;s withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world&#39;s top four players. 
 
Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. 
 
&quot;It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently),&quot; International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth&#39;s pull-out. 
 
Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. 
 
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. 
 
(Reuters)

Jordan Spieth withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month's Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. American Spieth's withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players. Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. "It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently)," International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth's pull-out. Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. (Reuters)

Spieth pulls out of Olympics over Zika worries

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to decide today on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over state-run doping, an unprecedented move that could spark the Olympic movement&#39;s worst crisis in decades.&nbsp; 
 
While countries have been banned from past Games for grave, political reasons, throwing an entire nation out for drug cheating would be a first.&nbsp; 
 
But the IOC is facing global pressure to take bold action given the jaw-dropping nature of the allegations against Russia. 
 
According to an independent report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Russia&#39;s sports ministry directed a vast doping programme with support from the FSB intelligence agency.&nbsp; 
 
More than 30 sports were affected by the cheating that went on during the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events, said the WADA report released last week by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren.&nbsp; 
 
WADA, along with fourteen national anti-doping agencies -- including the United States, Canada and Germany -- as well as multiple national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to ban Russia from Rio.&nbsp; 
 
IOC chief Thomas Bach will lead a conference call with the organisation&#39;s powerful executive board on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
The IOC said a final decision on Russia&#39;s eligibility could be issued after the call, but a definitive ruling may be put off until early next week.&nbsp; 
 
With the Rio Games set to start on August 5, the IOC has taken every last agonising day before ruling on one of the toughest questions it has faced in recent history.The key issue is whether the extent of the alleged cheating in Russia gives the IOC grounds to punish athletes with no positive drug tests on their record. 
 
&quot;We will have to take a very difficult decision,&quot; Bach said this week, addressing the ethical and legal tension &quot;between a collective ban for all Russian athletes, and the natural right to individual justice for every clean athlete in the world.&quot; 
 
Officials in Moscow led by Russian President Vladimir Putin have vowed to help crack down on doping while voicing fierce opposition to the prospect of a blanket ban.&nbsp; 
 
Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev also intervened: &quot;For me the principle of collective punishment is unacceptable,&quot; wrote 85-year-old Gorbachev in a statement, asking Bach to make a &quot;just decision&quot;. 
 
Russia&#39;s entire track and field squad has already been banned from Rio by athletics governing body IAAF over an earlier WADA report which detailed &quot;state-supported&quot; doping. 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this week rejected an appeal by 67 Russian athletes against the IAAF ban. 
 
The IOC has said it would closely study the CAS ruling as it tried to assess the legal basis for a collective national suspension. 
Meanwhile, an ongoing IOC reanalysis of samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 revealed 45 new doping failures. 
&nbsp; 
That brought the total number of positive drug tests to 98 since a retesting programme was launched, underscoring the severity of the doping crisis within the Olympics. If the IOC bans Russia from Rio, it will be the first time a country has been excluded since 1988, when South Africa&#39;s IOC suspension over apartheid was still in force.&nbsp; 
 
The most extensive set of national bans came at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, when a long list of World War One &quot;aggressors&quot; -- including Germany, Austria, Turkey and Hungary -- were told to stay away. 
 
Multiple countries have boycotted Games, however, notably the United States at Moscow 1980, which preceded Russia`s boycott of Los Angeles 1984. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

WADA report claims more than 30 sports were affected by the cheating that went on during the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is set to decide today on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over state-run doping, an unprecedented move that could spark the Olympic movement's worst crisis in decades. While countries have been banned from past Games for grave, political reasons, throwing an entire nation out for drug cheating would be a first. But the IOC is facing global pressure to take bold action given the jaw-dropping nature of the allegations against Russia. According to an independent report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Russia's sports ministry directed a vast doping programme with support from the FSB intelligence agency. More than 30 sports were affected by the cheating that went on during the 2014 Sochi Games and other major events, said the WADA report released last week by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren. WADA, along with fourteen national anti-doping agencies -- including the United States, Canada and Germany -- as well as multiple national Olympic committees have urged the IOC to ban Russia from Rio. IOC chief Thomas Bach will lead a conference call with the organisation's powerful executive board on Sunday. The IOC said a final decision on Russia's eligibility could be issued after the call, but a definitive ruling may be put off until early next week. With the Rio Games set to start on August 5, the IOC has taken every last agonising day before ruling on one of the toughest questions it has faced in recent history.The key issue is whether the extent of the alleged cheating in Russia gives the IOC grounds to punish athletes with no positive drug tests on their record. "We will have to take a very difficult decision," Bach said this week, addressing the ethical and legal tension "between a collective ban for all Russian athletes, and the natural right to individual justice for every clean athlete in the world." Officials in Moscow led by Russian President Vladimir Putin have vowed to help crack down on doping while voicing fierce opposition to the prospect of a blanket ban. Last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev also intervened: "For me the principle of collective punishment is unacceptable," wrote 85-year-old Gorbachev in a statement, asking Bach to make a "just decision". Russia's entire track and field squad has already been banned from Rio by athletics governing body IAAF over an earlier WADA report which detailed "state-supported" doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this week rejected an appeal by 67 Russian athletes against the IAAF ban. The IOC has said it would closely study the CAS ruling as it tried to assess the legal basis for a collective national suspension. Meanwhile, an ongoing IOC reanalysis of samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 revealed 45 new doping failures. That brought the total number of positive drug tests to 98 since a retesting programme was launched, underscoring the severity of the doping crisis within the Olympics. If the IOC bans Russia from Rio, it will be the first time a country has been excluded since 1988, when South Africa's IOC suspension over apartheid was still in force. The most extensive set of national bans came at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, when a long list of World War One "aggressors" -- including Germany, Austria, Turkey and Hungary -- were told to stay away. Multiple countries have boycotted Games, however, notably the United States at Moscow 1980, which preceded Russia`s boycott of Los Angeles 1984. (AFP)

IOC faces historic call amid global pressure to impose blanket ban on Russia in Rio Games

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio&#39;s Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. 
 
A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. 
 
&quot;We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village,&quot; Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government&#39;s Olympic account. 
 
&quot;They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday,&quot; he said. 
 
This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. 
 
However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting &quot;fantastic&quot; progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. 
 
Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America&#39;s first Games. 
 
Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. 
 
Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put &quot;a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home.&quot; 
 
Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio&#39;s transformation by telling him to &quot;move.&quot; 
 
&#39;Get stuck in&#39; 
 
Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. 
 
&quot;Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean,&quot; the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. 
 
During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, &quot;water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was &#39;shorting&#39; in the electrical wiring.&quot; 
 
Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she&#39;d seen in five Games. 
 
However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been &quot;fantastic progress today.&quot; 
 
&quot;The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They&#39;ve been working very hard, they&#39;re very skilled and we&#39;re very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday,&quot; she said. 
 
Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. 
 
The head of Argentina&#39;s Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, &quot;two are not habitable&quot; and that his team had sought alternative lodging. 
 
&quot;The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity,&quot; he said. &quot;Rio said it will finish this, but we can&#39;t take any risk.&quot; 
 
Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico&#39;s team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. 
 
New Zealand&#39;s team said Monday that it was &quot;disappointed the Village wasn&#39;t as ready as it might have been,&quot; but that its advance party had overcome the problems. 
 
&quot;Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done,&quot; a statement said. 
 
(AFP)

Australian Olympic delegation had refused to move into an apartment complex in Rio, complaining of blocked toilets and exposed wiring

Blocked toilets, dangerous wiring and other problems in Rio's Olympic Village will be resolved by the end of the week, Brazilian organisers said yesterday as new reports of glitches emerged. A day after the Australian Olympic delegation refused to move into the apartment complex in western Rio, Brazilian organising committee spokesman Mario Andrada promised a solution. "We have 630 men working to fix the problems at the Olympic Village," Andrada said in comments tweeted by the government's Olympic account. "They should complete the impeccable handover of the Village by the end of the week, probably by Thursday," he said. This indicated a longer timetable than suggested by the honorary mayor of the Village, former Brazilian Olympian Janeth Arcain, who said on Sunday that the work would take only 48 hours. However, the Australian team, which has made the most high-profile complaints, struck an optimistic note, noting "fantastic" progress and saying that athletes should be able to move in on Wednesday. Delays often occur in the final run-up to staging the Olympics, but Brazilian organisers have been embarrassed by a barrage of multiple problems as they prepare for South America's first Games. Battered by bad news over the Zika virus, heavy pollution in the Olympic sailing and rowing areas and rampant armed crime across Rio, mayor Eduardo Paes has frequently found himself on the defensive. Paes reacted to the Australian complaints on Sunday by quipping that he should perhaps put "a kangaroo in front of their building to make them feel at home." Earlier this month, he responded to one voter critical of Rio's transformation by telling him to "move." 'Get stuck in' Australia said on Sunday it would delay taking up residence in the Village, a development of 31 new buildings next to the Olympic Park that will house some 18,000 athletes and other team members during the Games starting August 5. "Problems include blocked toilets, leaking pipes, exposed wiring, darkened stairwells where no lighting has been installed and dirty floors in need of a massive clean," the head of the Australian team, Kitty Chiller, said in a statement. During a test involving taps and toilets being turned on in apartments on several floors, "water came down walls, there was a strong smell of gas in some apartments and there was 'shorting' in the electrical wiring." Chiller later told reporters that this was the worst Olympic Village she'd seen in five Games. However on Monday, Chiller told reporters there had been "fantastic progress today." "The workers that were with us today have been absolutely really good. They've been working very hard, they're very skilled and we're very, very happy with the progress, so looking like according to our plan, we will be able to move everybody on Wednesday," she said. Although several delegations have already expressed satisfaction with their residence, reports emerged on Monday of fresh grumbling. The head of Argentina's Olympic committee, Gerardo Werthein, was quoted by Clarin daily saying that out of five floors reserved for the country, "two are not habitable" and that his team had sought alternative lodging. "The apartments are completed on the outside, but when we tested them, we found problems with plumbing and electricity," he said. "Rio said it will finish this, but we can't take any risk." Italy has contracted its own team of workers to finish off the building work, Brazil has complained of leaks on the ground floor, while Mexico's team has encountered ceiling leaks and blocked drains, Globo news site reported. New Zealand's team said Monday that it was "disappointed the Village wasn't as ready as it might have been," but that its advance party had overcome the problems. "Our team has had to get stuck in to get the job done," a statement said. (AFP)

Rio organising committee promise repairs of Olympic Village by end of week

Rowing&#39;s international governing body FISA announced on yesterday that 22 of 28 Russian rowers have been banned from competing in the Rio Games, based on criteria fixed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over state-sponsored doping in Russia. 
 
With just six rowers still eligible, Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men&#39;s coxless four, FISA said, after the country had originally qualified five boats. 
 
This follows FISA&#39;s announcement on Monday that three Russian rowers - Ivan Balandin, Anastasia Karabelshchikova and Ivan Podshivalov - would be barred from competing in Rio. 
 
Podshivalov and Karabelshchikova are not eligible because of past doping offences for which they served suspensions in 2007 and 2008, FISA said. 
 
FISA said that Balandin was among the 11 rowers whose doping tests were manipulated by the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and the Russian deputy minister of sport, as had been outlined in a damning report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren published last week. 
 
The 19 rowers declared ineligible yesterday were because of non credible doping controls carried out in Moscow between 2012 and 2016. 
 
Russia&#39;s rowing federation said earlier Tuesday it would be appealing those three cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 
 
And Russian rowing federation president Veniamin But slammed the decision to allow just six rowers to compete as a &quot;humiliation&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is a humiliation. I was in contact with the president of the International Federation and I am in shock, but we won&#39;t stop the battle,&quot; But told the R-Sport agency. 
 
&quot;Our Olympic Committee is holding discussions with the IOC on our behalf.&nbsp;I&#39;m waiting for the outcome of talks between the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) and the IOC, we continue the battle. I think the final decision will be set out tomorrow.&quot; 
 
On Sunday the IOC ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide on Russian athletes&#39; eligibility. 
 
(AFP)

Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil with just six rowers still eligible. The country had originally qualified for five boats

Rowing's international governing body FISA announced on yesterday that 22 of 28 Russian rowers have been banned from competing in the Rio Games, based on criteria fixed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over state-sponsored doping in Russia. With just six rowers still eligible, Russia can only compete with one boat in Brazil, a men's coxless four, FISA said, after the country had originally qualified five boats. This follows FISA's announcement on Monday that three Russian rowers - Ivan Balandin, Anastasia Karabelshchikova and Ivan Podshivalov - would be barred from competing in Rio. Podshivalov and Karabelshchikova are not eligible because of past doping offences for which they served suspensions in 2007 and 2008, FISA said. FISA said that Balandin was among the 11 rowers whose doping tests were manipulated by the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and the Russian deputy minister of sport, as had been outlined in a damning report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren published last week. The 19 rowers declared ineligible yesterday were because of non credible doping controls carried out in Moscow between 2012 and 2016. Russia's rowing federation said earlier Tuesday it would be appealing those three cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). And Russian rowing federation president Veniamin But slammed the decision to allow just six rowers to compete as a "humiliation". "This is a humiliation. I was in contact with the president of the International Federation and I am in shock, but we won't stop the battle," But told the R-Sport agency. "Our Olympic Committee is holding discussions with the IOC on our behalf. I'm waiting for the outcome of talks between the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) and the IOC, we continue the battle. I think the final decision will be set out tomorrow." On Sunday the IOC ruled against a blanket ban on all Russian competitors in Rio, instead leaving it up to individual sports federations to decide on Russian athletes' eligibility. (AFP)

22 Russian rowers banned from Rio Games

Worried about surviving a mugging during the Rio Olympics? Have a banknote ready in your pocket to keep your attacker happy.

That&#39;s the advice French visitors heading for the Games are getting from their government to minimize the risk of being hurt in the notoriously dangerous Brazilian city.

France&#39;s security advisory recommends that tourists walk Rio streets with no jewellery or valuables, and carry a spare 20-real or 50-real bill ($6 or $15) ready to give to a mugger.

&quot;The idea is that it&#39;s best not to resist an assault and always useful to have a 20- or 50-real bill to keep the robber happy,&quot; French embassy spokesman Thibaut Lespagnol said.

As many as half a million foreign tourists are expected to descend on Rio for the first Olympic Games to be held in South America Aug. 5-21, and Brazil is deploying 88,000 police and troops to protect them from terrorist threats and dissuade muggers.

Rio de Janeiro has a high incidence of crime, including pick-pocketing and armed robberies that can happen at any place and at any time, a US&nbsp;State Department advisory said. Credit card fraud and ATM scams are also endemic and visitors should check their accounts regularly for unexpected withdrawals, it said.

Rio&#39;s colourful hillside shanty towns, called favelas, are rife with drug trafficking and armed violence, despite a &quot;pacification&quot; programme that placed police stations in some of them, and can be dangerous for curious visitors.

&quot;Even pacified favelas can be unpredictable and dangerous. US&nbsp;visitors who visit favelas could be placing themselves at risk,&quot; the State Department advised 
 
(Reuters)

French embassy spokesman asked tourists heading for Rio Games to carry spare bills ready to give to a thief in case of a mugging

Worried about surviving a mugging during the Rio Olympics? Have a banknote ready in your pocket to keep your attacker happy. That's the advice French visitors heading for the Games are getting from their government to minimize the risk of being hurt in the notoriously dangerous Brazilian city. France's security advisory recommends that tourists walk Rio streets with no jewellery or valuables, and carry a spare 20-real or 50-real bill ($6 or $15) ready to give to a mugger. "The idea is that it's best not to resist an assault and always useful to have a 20- or 50-real bill to keep the robber happy," French embassy spokesman Thibaut Lespagnol said. As many as half a million foreign tourists are expected to descend on Rio for the first Olympic Games to be held in South America Aug. 5-21, and Brazil is deploying 88,000 police and troops to protect them from terrorist threats and dissuade muggers. Rio de Janeiro has a high incidence of crime, including pick-pocketing and armed robberies that can happen at any place and at any time, a US State Department advisory said. Credit card fraud and ATM scams are also endemic and visitors should check their accounts regularly for unexpected withdrawals, it said. Rio's colourful hillside shanty towns, called favelas, are rife with drug trafficking and armed violence, despite a "pacification" programme that placed police stations in some of them, and can be dangerous for curious visitors. "Even pacified favelas can be unpredictable and dangerous. US visitors who visit favelas could be placing themselves at risk," the State Department advised (Reuters)

A banknote a day, keeps the robber away

If bravery was an Olympic sport, the 10 athletes who make up the first-ever refugee team in Rio would be odds-on for a clean sweep of the gold medals. 
 
From Yusra Mardini, a teenage swimmer from Syria who braved a Mediterranean crossing in a leaky dinghy, to Popole Misenga, who spent eight days hiding in a forest as a terrified child to flee bloody fighting, each of the refugee athletes have overcome daunting odds to maintain their Olympic dreams. 
 
Mardini, 18, spoke of her delight on Saturday at the prospect of participating in Rio, where she will compete in the 100 meters butterfly and 100m freestyle. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s absolutely an honor for me to be here,&quot; Mardini told a press conference on Saturday. 
 
Less than a year ago, Mardini was swimming for her life. During a perilous journey to Lesbos, the engine of their packed dinghy failed and the craft began taking on water. 
 
Mardini and her sister jumped into the water, grabbed a rope and and spent the next three-and-a half-hours in the choppy water towing the boat to safety. 
 
Mardini, who has now settled in Germany with her family as a refugee, says she will proudly represent Syria, the Olympic movement and her recently adopted homeland when she competes in Brazil. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s for my country, for Germany and the Olympic Committee, because they gave me all the support to make it possible,&quot; Mardini said. Mardini is joined in the refugee ranks by another Syrian swimmer, Rami Anis. Anis fled Syria in 2011 to avoid being enlisted into the army, relocating to Belgium from Istanbul in October last year. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m very proud to be here,&quot; Rami said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But I feel a bit of sadness that I&#39;m not participating as a Syrian. We are representing people who have lost their human rights and are facing injustices.&quot; 
 
The 25-year-old butterfly and freestyle swimmer described the refugee team as a group that &quot;does not despair.&quot; 
 
&quot;We have iron wills. We feel sad of course because of the wars in our countries,&quot; Anis said. 
 
For Congelese judoka Misenga, recalling the devastating toll that conflict has had on his family was too much. 
 
The 24-year-old broke down in tears when he was asked to comment on what message he hoped to send through his Olympic participation. 
 
Misenga was just nine years old when he fled fighting in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Separated from his family, he hid in the jungle for eight days before being rescued and taken to a centre for displaced children in Kinshasa. 
 
He later settled in Brazil, staying in the country after the 2013 World Championships. 
 
&quot;I have two brothers that I haven&#39;t seen for years. I don&#39;t remember their faces,&quot; Misenga said tearfully on Saturday. 
 
&quot;I want to send them hugs and kisses. I&#39;m here in Brazil participating so that one day I can bring them to live with me here in Brazil.&quot; 
 
Another refugee from war in the Congo, Yolande Mabika, followed Misenga&#39;s journey by settling in Brazil. 
 
&quot;This is not just a struggle for sport it&#39;s a struggle for life. Each one of us had our own personal stories to tell,&quot; she says. 
 
Coach Geraldo Bernades said the question of whether any of the refugee team can win a medal is immaterial. 
 
&quot;People ask if they can win a medal. I say they have already won their medals just by getting to Rio,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

10 athletes from Syria, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo will make up the first-ever refugee team to participate in Olympics

If bravery was an Olympic sport, the 10 athletes who make up the first-ever refugee team in Rio would be odds-on for a clean sweep of the gold medals. From Yusra Mardini, a teenage swimmer from Syria who braved a Mediterranean crossing in a leaky dinghy, to Popole Misenga, who spent eight days hiding in a forest as a terrified child to flee bloody fighting, each of the refugee athletes have overcome daunting odds to maintain their Olympic dreams. Mardini, 18, spoke of her delight on Saturday at the prospect of participating in Rio, where she will compete in the 100 meters butterfly and 100m freestyle. "It's absolutely an honor for me to be here," Mardini told a press conference on Saturday. Less than a year ago, Mardini was swimming for her life. During a perilous journey to Lesbos, the engine of their packed dinghy failed and the craft began taking on water. Mardini and her sister jumped into the water, grabbed a rope and and spent the next three-and-a half-hours in the choppy water towing the boat to safety. Mardini, who has now settled in Germany with her family as a refugee, says she will proudly represent Syria, the Olympic movement and her recently adopted homeland when she competes in Brazil. "It's for my country, for Germany and the Olympic Committee, because they gave me all the support to make it possible," Mardini said. Mardini is joined in the refugee ranks by another Syrian swimmer, Rami Anis. Anis fled Syria in 2011 to avoid being enlisted into the army, relocating to Belgium from Istanbul in October last year. "I'm very proud to be here," Rami said. "But I feel a bit of sadness that I'm not participating as a Syrian. We are representing people who have lost their human rights and are facing injustices." The 25-year-old butterfly and freestyle swimmer described the refugee team as a group that "does not despair." "We have iron wills. We feel sad of course because of the wars in our countries," Anis said. For Congelese judoka Misenga, recalling the devastating toll that conflict has had on his family was too much. The 24-year-old broke down in tears when he was asked to comment on what message he hoped to send through his Olympic participation. Misenga was just nine years old when he fled fighting in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Separated from his family, he hid in the jungle for eight days before being rescued and taken to a centre for displaced children in Kinshasa. He later settled in Brazil, staying in the country after the 2013 World Championships. "I have two brothers that I haven't seen for years. I don't remember their faces," Misenga said tearfully on Saturday. "I want to send them hugs and kisses. I'm here in Brazil participating so that one day I can bring them to live with me here in Brazil." Another refugee from war in the Congo, Yolande Mabika, followed Misenga's journey by settling in Brazil. "This is not just a struggle for sport it's a struggle for life. Each one of us had our own personal stories to tell," she says. Coach Geraldo Bernades said the question of whether any of the refugee team can win a medal is immaterial. "People ask if they can win a medal. I say they have already won their medals just by getting to Rio," he said. (AFP)

From horrors of war to Olympics, refugees are ready for Rio

When Olympic sailors compete in Rio the cameras will show a made-for-television scene of sparkling tropical waters and mountains. Luckily, the billions of viewers won&#39;t catch the revolting stink.&nbsp; 
 
More than nine million people live in Rio and towns around the rest of Guanabara Bay. At best only half the sewage they produce is treated before it pours into the city&#39;s watery heart.&nbsp; 
 
Incredibly, the fact that sailors will compete in a giant cesspit - which Brazilian researchers say contains drug-resistant superbacteria - is not their main worry.&nbsp; 
 
It&#39;s the big, floating stuff capable of snaring or even damaging boats and medal dreams that keep athletes like Kahena Kunze and her 49-year-old crewmate Martine Grael up at night. Because garbage collection in greater Rio is no better than the sewage treatment, the bay brims with plastic bags, bottles, discarded furniture and dead animals.&nbsp; 
 
The New York Times published a picture this week of a bloated human body in the bay. Another body part washed up on Copacabana beach, just outside Guanabara, in June. &quot;It&#39;s shameful,&quot; Kunze said.&nbsp; 
 
Emergency measures&nbsp; 
 
As part of its winning 2009 bid to host the Olympics, Rio promised to treat 80 per cent of the pollution, a task requiring enormous, expensive infrastructure improvements. Having completely failed to deliver, Rio opted for emergency measures.&nbsp; 
 
A fleet of 12 trash-collecting boats called &quot;eco-barcos&quot; have spent months patrolling the bay, plucking an average of 45 tons of rubbish a month - about one and a half tons daily - from the water, according to officials.&nbsp; 
 
When the races start, the floating garbage collectors will be out in force. The first lines of defense, though, are so-called eco-barriers. These are nets placed across 17 rivers entering Guanabara - rivers used by millions of people as garbage dumps and open sewers.&nbsp; 
 
At a eco-barrier on the River Meriti in the Duque de Caxias neighborhood, there was a soup of plastic, car tires, children&#39;s toys and household appliances including a microwave and a fridge.&nbsp; 
 
Each day, laborers go out in a small aluminum boat, scooping up some pieces and pushing the rest towards the bank, where a digger is used to shovel the debris into a dumpster. It is a dirty, potentially dangerous job performed amid the choking stench of raw sewage, some of which comes from a favela slum next door.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve found dead dogs, rats, cats, everything,&quot; recalled one of the workers, who said he makes only 1,400 reais a month ($432) and works nine hours a day.&nbsp; 
 
Surveying the scene, Rio&#39;s state secretary for the environment, said eco-barriers are enough to ensure a trouble-free Olympics - or almost.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Is there a chance we&#39;ll have some problem?&quot; he asked. &quot;It&#39;s not impossible. But I am very optimistic that we can guarantee a fair regatta.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The Unthinkable&nbsp; 
 
Martine Grael, daughter of five times Olympic medalist Torben Grael, is an outspoken critic of the pollution failure. She was famously pictured on a paddleboard in Guanabara pretending to watch a television she&#39;d just found.&nbsp; 
 
Her brother Marco, who is also in the Brazilian sailing team, said all competitors run the same risks, where a simple plastic bag around a centerboard or rudder could ruin a race. &quot;It could happen,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not something I even like to think about.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The sailors&#39; best ally will be mother nature: tidal streams keep areas picked for the contests relatively clean, while the dry August weather means less rain to wash garbage downstream. So, chances are that the contests will pass off without incident.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;But the Games will go away and the pollution will stay,&quot; said Torben Grael, who now coaches the Brazilian sailing team.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We were hoping for something better&quot; from the Olympics, he said sadly. &quot;That&#39;s not going to happen.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

As part of its winning 2009 bid to host the Olympics, Rio had promised to treat 80 per cent of the pollution which it has failed to do

When Olympic sailors compete in Rio the cameras will show a made-for-television scene of sparkling tropical waters and mountains. Luckily, the billions of viewers won't catch the revolting stink. More than nine million people live in Rio and towns around the rest of Guanabara Bay. At best only half the sewage they produce is treated before it pours into the city's watery heart. Incredibly, the fact that sailors will compete in a giant cesspit - which Brazilian researchers say contains drug-resistant superbacteria - is not their main worry. It's the big, floating stuff capable of snaring or even damaging boats and medal dreams that keep athletes like Kahena Kunze and her 49-year-old crewmate Martine Grael up at night. Because garbage collection in greater Rio is no better than the sewage treatment, the bay brims with plastic bags, bottles, discarded furniture and dead animals. The New York Times published a picture this week of a bloated human body in the bay. Another body part washed up on Copacabana beach, just outside Guanabara, in June. "It's shameful," Kunze said. Emergency measures As part of its winning 2009 bid to host the Olympics, Rio promised to treat 80 per cent of the pollution, a task requiring enormous, expensive infrastructure improvements. Having completely failed to deliver, Rio opted for emergency measures. A fleet of 12 trash-collecting boats called "eco-barcos" have spent months patrolling the bay, plucking an average of 45 tons of rubbish a month - about one and a half tons daily - from the water, according to officials. When the races start, the floating garbage collectors will be out in force. The first lines of defense, though, are so-called eco-barriers. These are nets placed across 17 rivers entering Guanabara - rivers used by millions of people as garbage dumps and open sewers. At a eco-barrier on the River Meriti in the Duque de Caxias neighborhood, there was a soup of plastic, car tires, children's toys and household appliances including a microwave and a fridge. Each day, laborers go out in a small aluminum boat, scooping up some pieces and pushing the rest towards the bank, where a digger is used to shovel the debris into a dumpster. It is a dirty, potentially dangerous job performed amid the choking stench of raw sewage, some of which comes from a favela slum next door. "We've found dead dogs, rats, cats, everything," recalled one of the workers, who said he makes only 1,400 reais a month ($432) and works nine hours a day. Surveying the scene, Rio's state secretary for the environment, said eco-barriers are enough to ensure a trouble-free Olympics - or almost. "Is there a chance we'll have some problem?" he asked. "It's not impossible. But I am very optimistic that we can guarantee a fair regatta." The Unthinkable Martine Grael, daughter of five times Olympic medalist Torben Grael, is an outspoken critic of the pollution failure. She was famously pictured on a paddleboard in Guanabara pretending to watch a television she'd just found. Her brother Marco, who is also in the Brazilian sailing team, said all competitors run the same risks, where a simple plastic bag around a centerboard or rudder could ruin a race. "It could happen," he said. "It's not something I even like to think about." The sailors' best ally will be mother nature: tidal streams keep areas picked for the contests relatively clean, while the dry August weather means less rain to wash garbage downstream. So, chances are that the contests will pass off without incident. "But the Games will go away and the pollution will stay," said Torben Grael, who now coaches the Brazilian sailing team. "We were hoping for something better" from the Olympics, he said sadly. "That's not going to happen." (AFP)

Corpses, excrement and litter: Welcome to Rio Olympic sailing venue

Britain&#39;s double Olympic champion Mo Farah produced a devastating 5,000m display today at the Diamond League event in London to prove he is in top form heading into the Rio Olympics. 
 
The 33-year-old showed exactly why he is the favourite to defend his two Olympic titles in Brazil next month, with a stunning example of speed and stamina at the Olympic stadium.&nbsp;His time of 12 minutes and 59.29 seconds was the fastest mark of the year, and the fourth time in his career that he has dipped under 13 minutes. 
 
Most ominously for those trying to catch him, particularly the Kenyans, this was his fastest time in the discipline since before the London 2012 Olympics. 
 
Farah made his move after 3600m and never looked back, making the final 1400m appear almost like celebratory laps of honour. He crossed the finishing line by doing his trademark Mobot celebration. 
 
Fellow Briton Andrew Butchart was second in a time of 13:14.85, with American Bernard Lagat third in a season&#39;s best 13:14.96. 
 
&quot;This is amazing, I got amazing support from the crowd,&quot; said Farah. &quot;I wanted to do it for them.&nbsp;This is my last chance before Rio, this track has so much meaning to me. Not many athletes can do it in their home town.&nbsp;This is my best form (heading into a major event) I am in good shape. I have to keep my feet on the ground. Anything can happen over the next two-and-a-half weeks. I have to stay patient and cool.&quot; 
 
Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers consolidated her position as the number one sprinter in the Diamond League format by winning the women&#39;s 200m. 
 
The world champion, who ran the third-fastest time in history in Beijing last year, crossed the line in 22.13 seconds &ndash; half a second ahead of American Tiffany Townsend. 
 
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast set a personal best of 10.96 seconds to cruise to victory in the women&#39;s 100m. 
 
Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye was second (10.99 seconds) while Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Jamaica&#39;s 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, was behind the pace in 11.06 seconds. 
 
Frustration for Ennis-Hill&nbsp; 
 
In a hotly-anticipated women&#39;s long jump, Katarina Johnson-Thompson earned a rare victory over fellow British heptathlete and Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill. 
 
Johnson-Thompson, 23, produced six consistent jumps, with her winning leap a season&#39;s best of 6.84 metres. 
 
The British Anguillan-born Shara Proctor was second with a 2016 best of 6.80 metres, while Ennis-Hill was seventh out of the eight competitors. 
 
It was a frustrating day for Ennis-Hill, with her Olympic heptathlon title defence on the horizon. 
 
&quot;I would have liked to have got closer to my PB and taken some confidence from the long jump but it reminds me that there is still a bit of work to do. I have to keep focused and work hard,&quot; Ennis-Hill, 30, said. 
 
&quot;I think I just need to sharpen up now, I&#39;ll go into the heptathlon fresh. I will go and concentrate on the job in hand. These will be my last Olympics so I just want to enjoy it.&quot; 
 
Another Briton, Matthew Hudson-Smith, was victorious in the men&#39;s 400m in 45.03 seconds, while there was even more for the home fans to cheer as their men&#39;s 4x100m relay squad produced the best time of the year. 
 
Kerron Clement of the US edged out Puerto Rican Javier Culson in the men&#39;s 400m hurdles with a season&#39;s best of 48.40 seconds. 
 
(AFP)

Britain's double Olympic champion, Mo Farah, produced a devastating 5,000m display at the Diamond League event in London

Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah produced a devastating 5,000m display today at the Diamond League event in London to prove he is in top form heading into the Rio Olympics. The 33-year-old showed exactly why he is the favourite to defend his two Olympic titles in Brazil next month, with a stunning example of speed and stamina at the Olympic stadium. His time of 12 minutes and 59.29 seconds was the fastest mark of the year, and the fourth time in his career that he has dipped under 13 minutes. Most ominously for those trying to catch him, particularly the Kenyans, this was his fastest time in the discipline since before the London 2012 Olympics. Farah made his move after 3600m and never looked back, making the final 1400m appear almost like celebratory laps of honour. He crossed the finishing line by doing his trademark Mobot celebration. Fellow Briton Andrew Butchart was second in a time of 13:14.85, with American Bernard Lagat third in a season's best 13:14.96. "This is amazing, I got amazing support from the crowd," said Farah. "I wanted to do it for them. This is my last chance before Rio, this track has so much meaning to me. Not many athletes can do it in their home town. This is my best form (heading into a major event) I am in good shape. I have to keep my feet on the ground. Anything can happen over the next two-and-a-half weeks. I have to stay patient and cool." Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers consolidated her position as the number one sprinter in the Diamond League format by winning the women's 200m. The world champion, who ran the third-fastest time in history in Beijing last year, crossed the line in 22.13 seconds – half a second ahead of American Tiffany Townsend. Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast set a personal best of 10.96 seconds to cruise to victory in the women's 100m. Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye was second (10.99 seconds) while Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Jamaica's 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, was behind the pace in 11.06 seconds. Frustration for Ennis-Hill In a hotly-anticipated women's long jump, Katarina Johnson-Thompson earned a rare victory over fellow British heptathlete and Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill. Johnson-Thompson, 23, produced six consistent jumps, with her winning leap a season's best of 6.84 metres. The British Anguillan-born Shara Proctor was second with a 2016 best of 6.80 metres, while Ennis-Hill was seventh out of the eight competitors. It was a frustrating day for Ennis-Hill, with her Olympic heptathlon title defence on the horizon. "I would have liked to have got closer to my PB and taken some confidence from the long jump but it reminds me that there is still a bit of work to do. I have to keep focused and work hard," Ennis-Hill, 30, said. "I think I just need to sharpen up now, I'll go into the heptathlon fresh. I will go and concentrate on the job in hand. These will be my last Olympics so I just want to enjoy it." Another Briton, Matthew Hudson-Smith, was victorious in the men's 400m in 45.03 seconds, while there was even more for the home fans to cheer as their men's 4x100m relay squad produced the best time of the year. Kerron Clement of the US edged out Puerto Rican Javier Culson in the men's 400m hurdles with a season's best of 48.40 seconds. (AFP)

Mo Farah in top form ahead of Rio Olympics

There is just a one per cent probability that the International Olympic Committee will allow Russian track-and-field athletes to take part in the Rio Olympics, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said today. 
 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia&#39;s appeal against a doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics on Thursday. 
 
&quot;Of all the things I&#39;m going to say about athletics, even though there&#39;s still one per cent chance (that they will go to the olympics), but actually first of all we&#39;re going to keep everything we should of the maintenance of our teams, the training process, the monetary maintenance. Until the end of the year they&#39;re going to keep working in this way and they&#39;re not going to have any problems,&quot; Mutko said in response to a reporter&#39;s question at a news conference at Russia&#39;s Football Union. 
 
Doping scandals have plagued the build-up to the world&#39;s biggest multi-sports event, with Russia potentially facing a complete Games ban following the publication of the McLaren report on July 18. 
 
The report revealed evidence of a systematic and widespread state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia's appeal against a doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics

There is just a one per cent probability that the International Olympic Committee will allow Russian track-and-field athletes to take part in the Rio Olympics, Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said today. The Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected Russia's appeal against a doping ban for its entire athletics team from the Rio Olympics on Thursday. "Of all the things I'm going to say about athletics, even though there's still one per cent chance (that they will go to the olympics), but actually first of all we're going to keep everything we should of the maintenance of our teams, the training process, the monetary maintenance. Until the end of the year they're going to keep working in this way and they're not going to have any problems," Mutko said in response to a reporter's question at a news conference at Russia's Football Union. Doping scandals have plagued the build-up to the world's biggest multi-sports event, with Russia potentially facing a complete Games ban following the publication of the McLaren report on July 18. The report revealed evidence of a systematic and widespread state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. (Reuters)

Russian sports minister: 1% chance nation's athletes to go to Rio

The International Olympic Committee said today it would decide &quot;within seven days&quot; on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over rampant state-run doping.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We expect (to have) a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio,&quot; IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau said. 
 
The Games in Rio de Janeiro open on August 5.&nbsp; 
 
The IOC has faced growing calls to hit Russia with an outright ban after a report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency found the country ran an elaborate cheating programme at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and other major events. 
 
Following an emergency conference on Tuesday, the IOC&#39;s executive board said it would study the &quot;legal options&quot; regarding a prospective Russia suspension. 
 
It would be an unprecedented move, as no country has been excluded from an Olympics over doping. 
 
IOC leaders said they would consider a decision due Thursday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a previously imposed ban by the International Association of Atheletic&#39;s Federation (IAAF) against Russia&#39;s track field and team. 
 
That ban followed similar revelations of rampant doping with support from Moscow. 
 
Sixty-eight Russian athletes have appealed to CAS challenging the IAAF&#39;s right to punish an entire national federation, since some team members have no positive drug tests on their record. 
 
The CAS ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC&#39;s decision on Russia&#39;s eligibility for Rio.&nbsp; 
Moreau said IOC leaders would have further talks on the Russia dispute in the coming days, following the CAS ruling. 
 
(AFP)

Court of Arbitration for Sport's ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC's decision

The International Olympic Committee said today it would decide "within seven days" on whether to ban Russia from the Rio Games over rampant state-run doping. "We expect (to have) a decision within seven days on the participation of Russian competitors in Rio," IOC media relations chief Emmanuelle Moreau said. The Games in Rio de Janeiro open on August 5. The IOC has faced growing calls to hit Russia with an outright ban after a report commissioned by the World Anti Doping Agency found the country ran an elaborate cheating programme at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and other major events. Following an emergency conference on Tuesday, the IOC's executive board said it would study the "legal options" regarding a prospective Russia suspension. It would be an unprecedented move, as no country has been excluded from an Olympics over doping. IOC leaders said they would consider a decision due Thursday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on a previously imposed ban by the International Association of Atheletic's Federation (IAAF) against Russia's track field and team. That ban followed similar revelations of rampant doping with support from Moscow. Sixty-eight Russian athletes have appealed to CAS challenging the IAAF's right to punish an entire national federation, since some team members have no positive drug tests on their record. The CAS ruling on the validity of collective punishment is expected to help guide the IOC's decision on Russia's eligibility for Rio. Moreau said IOC leaders would have further talks on the Russia dispute in the coming days, following the CAS ruling. (AFP)

International Olympic Committee to decide on Russia Rio ban 'within a week'

The International Olympic Committee said that Russian doping cover-ups confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today showed a &quot;shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and the Olympic Games&quot;, and that it would not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions. 
 
An independent report commissioned by WADA confirmed extraordinary systematic abuse of the anti-doping process across many sports by Russian authorities before and during the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi in 2014. 
 
In a statement, IOC President Thomas Bach said the IOC &quot;will now carefully study the complex and detailed allegations in particular with regard to the Russian ministry of sport&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games,&quot; he said. &quot;Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated.&quot; 
 
The IOC executive board will hold a telephone conference on Tuesday to take its first decisions, which could include provisional measures and sanctions regarding the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month, the IOC said. 
 
Last week, Bach indicated that a total ban on Russia competing in Rio was unlikely, saying, &quot;It is obvious you cannot sanction a badminton player for an infringement of the rules by an official or a lab director at the Winter Games.&quot; 
 
However, in the light of Monday&#39;s report, with a wide group of sports bodies now calling for a blanket ban, a broad sanction could now be on the cards. 
 
Russia&#39;s track and field athletes are already banned, as are its weightlifters, subject to confirmation of positive dope tests from samples given in 2008 and 2012. 
 
(Reuters)

World Anti-Doping Agency today confirmed manipulation of the anti-doping process by Russian authorities at Sochi Olympics in 2014

The International Olympic Committee said that Russian doping cover-ups confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today showed a "shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and the Olympic Games", and that it would not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions. An independent report commissioned by WADA confirmed extraordinary systematic abuse of the anti-doping process across many sports by Russian authorities before and during the Winter Olympics in the Russian city of Sochi in 2014. In a statement, IOC President Thomas Bach said the IOC "will now carefully study the complex and detailed allegations in particular with regard to the Russian ministry of sport". "The findings of the report show a shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sports and on the Olympic Games," he said. "Therefore, the IOC will not hesitate to take the toughest sanctions available against any individual or organisation implicated." The IOC executive board will hold a telephone conference on Tuesday to take its first decisions, which could include provisional measures and sanctions regarding the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month, the IOC said. Last week, Bach indicated that a total ban on Russia competing in Rio was unlikely, saying, "It is obvious you cannot sanction a badminton player for an infringement of the rules by an official or a lab director at the Winter Games." However, in the light of Monday's report, with a wide group of sports bodies now calling for a blanket ban, a broad sanction could now be on the cards. Russia's track and field athletes are already banned, as are its weightlifters, subject to confirmation of positive dope tests from samples given in 2008 and 2012. (Reuters)

International Olympic Committee will take 'toughest sanctions' over Sochi doping

Russia&#39;s Olympic chief today attacked the United States and Canada&#39;s anti-doping agencies for trying to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) into imposing a full ban on Russia from the Rio Olympics. 
 
In a letter sent late Sunday to IOC president Thomas Bach, the head of Russia&#39;s Olympic committee Alexander Zhukov expressed deep concern and threatened to refer the case to the IOC ethics board. 
 
&quot;Russia&#39;s Olympic Committee was extremely disappointed with the moves by the anti-doping agencies of the United States and Canada,&quot; Zhukov wrote in his letter, which was released by the Russian committee&#39;s press service on Monday. 
 
&quot;We consider it to be an attempt to create an international coalition of athletes and organisations supporting a complete ban on Russian athletes competing at the Olympics.&quot; 
 
Zhukov also expressed concern that the results of the investigation of WADA independent commission had been leaked ahead of its release later on Monday. 
 
&quot;This campaign is apparently based on information received by the WADA commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, though this report should remain independent and completely confidential until the date of its release,&quot; Zhukov said. 
 
&quot;How could these organisations know in advance the content of the report before it was officially presented? The situation raises very serious concern in the Russian Olympic Committee since it casts doubt on the integrity and independence of this report.&quot; 
 
Russia&#39;s Olympic supremo also said that the North-American anti-doping agencies&#39; moves seemed to be part of a pre-planned campaign. 
 
&quot;We have the impression that this is part of a well-planned and preconceived campaign aimed at keeping Russian athletes out of competition at the Rio Olympic Games regardless of the existence of any proofs that are needed to take such an unprecedented decision,&quot; Zhukov said. 
 
He accused Beckie Scott, the Canadian chairman of the WADA athletes commission of being &quot;only interested in punishing hundreds of clean Russian athletes for crimes that they did not commit&quot;. 
 
&quot;Her intervention... runs counter to the principles of the Olympics charter and undermines trust in McLaren&#39;s report ahead of its release,&quot; he said. 
 
Zhukov said Russia is &quot;considering the possibility of sending this issue to the IOC ethics commission&quot; to ensure that procedures were followed strictly during the independent investigation. 
 
Zhukov&#39;s letter came after Russia&#39;s sports minister Vitaly Mutko condemned the situation around the McLaren report as &quot;just a farce and political pressure&quot;. 
 
Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations. 
 
But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could rule as early as Tuesday on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes who say they should be allowed to compete in Rio. 
 
McLaren has investigated allegations made by former Moscow doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov that even Russian secret services took part in an operation to manipulate Russian doping samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

Alexander Zhukov sent a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president threatening to refer the case to the ethics board

Russia's Olympic chief today attacked the United States and Canada's anti-doping agencies for trying to pressure the International Olympic Committee (IOC) into imposing a full ban on Russia from the Rio Olympics. In a letter sent late Sunday to IOC president Thomas Bach, the head of Russia's Olympic committee Alexander Zhukov expressed deep concern and threatened to refer the case to the IOC ethics board. "Russia's Olympic Committee was extremely disappointed with the moves by the anti-doping agencies of the United States and Canada," Zhukov wrote in his letter, which was released by the Russian committee's press service on Monday. "We consider it to be an attempt to create an international coalition of athletes and organisations supporting a complete ban on Russian athletes competing at the Olympics." Zhukov also expressed concern that the results of the investigation of WADA independent commission had been leaked ahead of its release later on Monday. "This campaign is apparently based on information received by the WADA commission led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, though this report should remain independent and completely confidential until the date of its release," Zhukov said. "How could these organisations know in advance the content of the report before it was officially presented? The situation raises very serious concern in the Russian Olympic Committee since it casts doubt on the integrity and independence of this report." Russia's Olympic supremo also said that the North-American anti-doping agencies' moves seemed to be part of a pre-planned campaign. "We have the impression that this is part of a well-planned and preconceived campaign aimed at keeping Russian athletes out of competition at the Rio Olympic Games regardless of the existence of any proofs that are needed to take such an unprecedented decision," Zhukov said. He accused Beckie Scott, the Canadian chairman of the WADA athletes commission of being "only interested in punishing hundreds of clean Russian athletes for crimes that they did not commit". "Her intervention... runs counter to the principles of the Olympics charter and undermines trust in McLaren's report ahead of its release," he said. Zhukov said Russia is "considering the possibility of sending this issue to the IOC ethics commission" to ensure that procedures were followed strictly during the independent investigation. Zhukov's letter came after Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko condemned the situation around the McLaren report as "just a farce and political pressure". Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could rule as early as Tuesday on an appeal by 68 Russian athletes who say they should be allowed to compete in Rio. McLaren has investigated allegations made by former Moscow doping laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov that even Russian secret services took part in an operation to manipulate Russian doping samples at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. (AFP)

Russia's Olympic chief attacks ban demands

China will send 416 athletes to Rio de Janeiro next month, its largest overseas delegation in Olympic history, continuing its pursuit of medals that saw it take second spot in the table behind the United States four years ago. 
 
The country will send 256 women and 160 men to compete in 26 sports, the government said during a ceremony unveiling the team in Beijing today, state news agency Xinhua reported. It fielded 396 athletes in the London 2012 games. 
 
&quot;This is the largest ever Olympic delegation China has sent overseas,&quot; Cai Zhenhua, deputy director of China&#39;s General Administration of Sport, was reported by Xinhua as saying. He added that the delegation has 711 members, including 29 foreign coaches. 
 
Local fans were assured by the inclusion of popular Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao who has been a recent subject of rumours that he had been cut from the squad for taking on too many commercial engagements. He is the first Asian swimmer to win the 100 metres freestyle at the world championships. 
 
The youngest member of the delegation is 14-year-old Ai Yanhan, who will compete in the women&#39;s 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, while the oldest is 39-year-old Beijing Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying. 
 
Notable omissions include five-time Olympic gold medallist and gymnast, Zou Kai, and teenage gymnast, Liu Tingting, who was due to compete in her first international competition, but pulled out due to an injury suffered during training last week. 
 
Weightlifting Olympic champion Liao Hui, who missed the 2012 Olympics after failing a drugs test, also announced his retirement on the Twitter-like Weibo platform today. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the largest ever Olympic delegation China has sent overseas -- 256 women and 160 men will compete in 26 sports

China will send 416 athletes to Rio de Janeiro next month, its largest overseas delegation in Olympic history, continuing its pursuit of medals that saw it take second spot in the table behind the United States four years ago. The country will send 256 women and 160 men to compete in 26 sports, the government said during a ceremony unveiling the team in Beijing today, state news agency Xinhua reported. It fielded 396 athletes in the London 2012 games. "This is the largest ever Olympic delegation China has sent overseas," Cai Zhenhua, deputy director of China's General Administration of Sport, was reported by Xinhua as saying. He added that the delegation has 711 members, including 29 foreign coaches. Local fans were assured by the inclusion of popular Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao who has been a recent subject of rumours that he had been cut from the squad for taking on too many commercial engagements. He is the first Asian swimmer to win the 100 metres freestyle at the world championships. The youngest member of the delegation is 14-year-old Ai Yanhan, who will compete in the women's 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, while the oldest is 39-year-old Beijing Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying. Notable omissions include five-time Olympic gold medallist and gymnast, Zou Kai, and teenage gymnast, Liu Tingting, who was due to compete in her first international competition, but pulled out due to an injury suffered during training last week. Weightlifting Olympic champion Liao Hui, who missed the 2012 Olympics after failing a drugs test, also announced his retirement on the Twitter-like Weibo platform today. (Reuters)

China to send 416 athletes to Rio in largest overseas contingent

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