Russia&#39;s sports minister Vitaly Mutko said today he was pleased with European Olympic Committee (EOC) president Pat Hickey&#39;s opposition to a North American-led campaign to ban Russia from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. 
 
&quot;The statement by Hickey is very important,&quot; TASS news agency quoted Mutko as saying. 
 
Earlier today Hickey said he was &quot;shocked&quot; by a move led by the United States and Canada&#39;s anti-doping agencies to have Russia completely banned from the Summer Games, which start in Rio on August 5. 
 
The move pre-empted the release on Monday of a report into allegations of Russian doping carried out for World-Anti Doping Agency (WADA) by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. 
 
Mutko said that Hickey &quot;is quite right when he says that the move by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) puts in question the independence and the confidentiality of the investigation by the WADA commission.&quot; 
 
&quot;Now it&#39;s clear what will happen after the report by McLaren: a news conference and pressure on Russia.&quot; 
 
Hickey said he was alerted to the move when the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency&#39;s athletes commission sent out an appeal for backing for the campaign. 
 
McLaren is expected to report on Monday on his investigation into allegations that the Russian government manipulated doping samples taken at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to protect Russian competitors. 
 
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. 
 
Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). 
 
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. 
 
Pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva is among the 68 hoping for a last-minute ticket to Rio from CAS. 
 
Russia&#39;s sports minister also condemned the situation around the Monday&#39;s report by McLaren as &quot;just a farce and political pressure,&quot; speaking to R-Sport news agency. 
 
&quot;A public commission makes an accusation against a country. But what kind of powers or ability does it have to do that? An accusation against a country is a serious thing. You need to observe some proprieties.&quot; 
 
Mutko added that both Russia Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and Moscow&#39;s anti-doping laboratory are &quot;currently part of WADA&#39;s internal structure,&quot; saying: 
 
&quot;It&#39;s necessary to understand that by blaming us you also blame yourself.&quot; 
 
&quot;Russia is open. We&#39;re ready to do everything at the top level. That&#39;s our philosophy,&quot; Mutko said. 
 
(AFP)

European Olympic Committee president Pat Hickey shocked by US and Canada's anti-doping agencies move to ban Russia from the summer Games

Russia's sports minister Vitaly Mutko said today he was pleased with European Olympic Committee (EOC) president Pat Hickey's opposition to a North American-led campaign to ban Russia from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. "The statement by Hickey is very important," TASS news agency quoted Mutko as saying. Earlier today Hickey said he was "shocked" by a move led by the United States and Canada's anti-doping agencies to have Russia completely banned from the Summer Games, which start in Rio on August 5. The move pre-empted the release on Monday of a report into allegations of Russian doping carried out for World-Anti Doping Agency (WADA) by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. Mutko said that Hickey "is quite right when he says that the move by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) puts in question the independence and the confidentiality of the investigation by the WADA commission." "Now it's clear what will happen after the report by McLaren: a news conference and pressure on Russia." Hickey said he was alerted to the move when the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency's athletes commission sent out an appeal for backing for the campaign. McLaren is expected to report on Monday on his investigation into allegations that the Russian government manipulated doping samples taken at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to protect Russian competitors. 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. Russia is already barred from international athletics by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). 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. Pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva is among the 68 hoping for a last-minute ticket to Rio from CAS. Russia's sports minister also condemned the situation around the Monday's report by McLaren as "just a farce and political pressure," speaking to R-Sport news agency. "A public commission makes an accusation against a country. But what kind of powers or ability does it have to do that? An accusation against a country is a serious thing. You need to observe some proprieties." Mutko added that both Russia Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and Moscow's anti-doping laboratory are "currently part of WADA's internal structure," saying: "It's necessary to understand that by blaming us you also blame yourself." "Russia is open. We're ready to do everything at the top level. That's our philosophy," Mutko said. (AFP)

Rio Olympics: European Olympic Committee's president opposes Russia ban

India&#39;s hockey coach Roelant Oltmans said today that skipper Sardar Singh had been replaced as captain for the Olympics as he backed the sport&#39;s one-time giants to continue their recent revival in Rio. 
 
After unveiling the 16-strong men and women&#39;s squads which will travel to Brazil, Oltmans said that goalkeeper Sreejesh Ravindran would lead the men&#39;s team under a new &quot;rotational captaincy&quot; programme. 
 
Singh, who has been captain of the team for the last for years, was picked in the squad and Oltmans insisted he remained a key player. 
But the move comes after he was accused in February of sexually harassing a woman who claims to have been his former girlfriend, accusations that Singh has strenuously denied. 
 
&quot;I have been here for a three and a half years now and what I observed is a fairly hierarchic structure and when there is only one captain for long then the players shy away from responsibility,&quot; said Oltmans. 
 
&quot;In a team, during a game, I need players who take responsibility. Changing the captaincy on the pitch gives far more responsibility. 
&quot;Sardar is an important player but I am sure this (rotational captaincy) will help the team and it will help him as well,&quot; he added at a press conference in New Delhi. 
 
India once dominated the men&#39;s game at the Olympics and has won a total of eight golds. However the last of these was in Moscow back in 1980 and they finished last at the London games four years ago. 
 
Although not one of the favourites at next month&#39;s Olympics in Brazil, there have been encouraging signs for India of late and they were runners-up in the recent Champions Trophy. 
 
&quot;You have seen in the last couple of years that we are getting better and better,&quot; said the 62-year-old Dutchman. 
 
&quot;If that&#39;s enough already to get medals at the Olympics that&#39;s something we have to prove. 
 
India&#39;s strong showing at last month&#39;s Champions Trophy in London has seen it rise a couple of spots to fifth in the world rankings, still some way behind Australia at the top of the chart. 
 
&quot;Its clear from where we are, winning a couple of medals in FIH (International Hockey Federation) tournaments, look at the world rankings at the moment,&quot; said Oltmans. 
 
&quot;It is all signals of revival but nothing more than that. It is up to us to prove it during the Olympics that we are there for a longer time,&quot; added the coach, who is also the teams high performance director. 
 
The Indian mens team has been drawn in Group B alongside Argentina, Canada, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands. The womens team, which is making its first appearance at an Olympics for 36 years, has been grouped with Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, Japan and the United States. 
 
(AFP)

Coach Roelant Oltmans introduces a new 'rotational captaincy' programme, which he hopes will push players to take on more responsibility

India's hockey coach Roelant Oltmans said today that skipper Sardar Singh had been replaced as captain for the Olympics as he backed the sport's one-time giants to continue their recent revival in Rio. After unveiling the 16-strong men and women's squads which will travel to Brazil, Oltmans said that goalkeeper Sreejesh Ravindran would lead the men's team under a new "rotational captaincy" programme. Singh, who has been captain of the team for the last for years, was picked in the squad and Oltmans insisted he remained a key player. But the move comes after he was accused in February of sexually harassing a woman who claims to have been his former girlfriend, accusations that Singh has strenuously denied. "I have been here for a three and a half years now and what I observed is a fairly hierarchic structure and when there is only one captain for long then the players shy away from responsibility," said Oltmans. "In a team, during a game, I need players who take responsibility. Changing the captaincy on the pitch gives far more responsibility. "Sardar is an important player but I am sure this (rotational captaincy) will help the team and it will help him as well," he added at a press conference in New Delhi. India once dominated the men's game at the Olympics and has won a total of eight golds. However the last of these was in Moscow back in 1980 and they finished last at the London games four years ago. Although not one of the favourites at next month's Olympics in Brazil, there have been encouraging signs for India of late and they were runners-up in the recent Champions Trophy. "You have seen in the last couple of years that we are getting better and better," said the 62-year-old Dutchman. "If that's enough already to get medals at the Olympics that's something we have to prove. India's strong showing at last month's Champions Trophy in London has seen it rise a couple of spots to fifth in the world rankings, still some way behind Australia at the top of the chart. "Its clear from where we are, winning a couple of medals in FIH (International Hockey Federation) tournaments, look at the world rankings at the moment," said Oltmans. "It is all signals of revival but nothing more than that. It is up to us to prove it during the Olympics that we are there for a longer time," added the coach, who is also the teams high performance director. The Indian mens team has been drawn in Group B alongside Argentina, Canada, Germany, Ireland and Netherlands. The womens team, which is making its first appearance at an Olympics for 36 years, has been grouped with Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, Japan and the United States. (AFP)

India hockey captain Sardar Singh replaced by Sreejesh Ravindran for Rio Olympics

Brazil said on Tuesday it was deploying the military to patrol the emblematic tourist sites in Rio de Janeiro to guard against the &quot;minimal&quot; chance of an attack, though security at the Olympic stadium appeared slack three days before the Games. 
 
Justice minister Alexandre de Moraes said deploying the military to the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain would free up police to patrol other areas of the city during the Games, which run from August 5 to August 21. 
 
Speaking at the inauguration of the centre for international police cooperation, which allows countries competing in the Games to share information on security threats, Moraes said agents with handheld metal detectors would check visitors to the Christ the Redeemer statue, which sits atop the Corcovado mountain at the centre of the city. 
 
&quot;The two (tourist) points where we will deploy the armed forces are Corcovado and the Sugarloaf Mountain,&quot; Moraes told reporters. 
 
The military will also patrol strategic points in Rio such as energy, water and telecommunications installations, airports and tram stations. Concerns over possible attacks at the Games jumped last month after Brazil detained 12 people on suspicion of links to the Islamic State militant group. 
 
Police said they were monitoring some 100 suspected Islamist militants, particularly in the porous southern border region with Paraguay and Argentina. However, the minister said that the chances of any attack were &quot;minimal.&quot; 
 
The security operation for the Games will include a total of 85,000 police and soldiers. 
 
However, at the main Olympic stadium on Tuesday, an X-ray machine to scan visitors was not connected and there was no bar code scanner to check Olympic accreditation. Organizers last week cancelled the contract of the relatively unknown security firm, Artel, which was supposed to check credentials and bags at the entrance to stadiums, replacing them with military police reservists. 
 
&quot;As the people who were going to do this service are not here, the machine is turned off,&quot; said one reservist, who asked not to be identified, standing beside a metal detector. &quot;We are going to see if by tomorrow they turn it on.&quot; 
 
A reporter was able to walk around the Engenhao stadium, visiting the changing rooms and other areas, without any restrictions. The minister said that security would be tightened on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;We have already incorporated 2,000 of the 3,400 expected agents and we have until tomorrow to get them trained and operational. If there is any problem, it will be checked and fixed,&quot; the minister said. Built for the 2007 Pan-American games, the Engenhao stadium has the capacity for up to 60,000 spectators, including temporary stands. It will host soccer between Wednesday and Sunday, and will be the venue for athletics from Aug. 12 onwards.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Concerns over possible attacks at the Games jumped last month after Brazil detained 12 people on suspicion of links to the IS

Brazil said on Tuesday it was deploying the military to patrol the emblematic tourist sites in Rio de Janeiro to guard against the "minimal" chance of an attack, though security at the Olympic stadium appeared slack three days before the Games. Justice minister Alexandre de Moraes said deploying the military to the Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain would free up police to patrol other areas of the city during the Games, which run from August 5 to August 21. Speaking at the inauguration of the centre for international police cooperation, which allows countries competing in the Games to share information on security threats, Moraes said agents with handheld metal detectors would check visitors to the Christ the Redeemer statue, which sits atop the Corcovado mountain at the centre of the city. "The two (tourist) points where we will deploy the armed forces are Corcovado and the Sugarloaf Mountain," Moraes told reporters. The military will also patrol strategic points in Rio such as energy, water and telecommunications installations, airports and tram stations. Concerns over possible attacks at the Games jumped last month after Brazil detained 12 people on suspicion of links to the Islamic State militant group. Police said they were monitoring some 100 suspected Islamist militants, particularly in the porous southern border region with Paraguay and Argentina. However, the minister said that the chances of any attack were "minimal." The security operation for the Games will include a total of 85,000 police and soldiers. However, at the main Olympic stadium on Tuesday, an X-ray machine to scan visitors was not connected and there was no bar code scanner to check Olympic accreditation. Organizers last week cancelled the contract of the relatively unknown security firm, Artel, which was supposed to check credentials and bags at the entrance to stadiums, replacing them with military police reservists. "As the people who were going to do this service are not here, the machine is turned off," said one reservist, who asked not to be identified, standing beside a metal detector. "We are going to see if by tomorrow they turn it on." A reporter was able to walk around the Engenhao stadium, visiting the changing rooms and other areas, without any restrictions. The minister said that security would be tightened on Wednesday. "We have already incorporated 2,000 of the 3,400 expected agents and we have until tomorrow to get them trained and operational. If there is any problem, it will be checked and fixed," the minister said. Built for the 2007 Pan-American games, the Engenhao stadium has the capacity for up to 60,000 spectators, including temporary stands. It will host soccer between Wednesday and Sunday, and will be the venue for athletics from Aug. 12 onwards. (Reuters)

Brazil to deploy military to tourist sites, but stadium security lax

Security at Rio&#39;s Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. 
 
Denmark&#39;s chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. 
 
&quot;In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts,&quot; he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets.&quot; 
 
Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. 
 
&quot;The buildings are simply not in order,&quot; Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. 
 
The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. 
 
Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. 
 
&quot;When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don&#39;t know who they were -- walking out with team shirts,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we&#39;ve given them a shirt. It doesn&#39;t seem to be what happened. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that&#39;s concerning.&quot; 
 
After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. 
 
Rio&#39;s crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. 
 
China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. 
 
Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. 
 
&quot;They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this,&quot; he told China&#39;s Xinhua news agency. 
 
&quot;We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered.&quot; 
 
Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures,&quot; advised Andrada. 
 
&quot;If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention.&quot; 
 
Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was &quot;inevitable&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing

Security at Rio's Olympic Village was handed a further blow on Wednesday when Danish athletes revealed they have had items stolen while organisers issued a public apology to competitors who have fallen victim to crime. Denmark's chef de mission Morten Rodtwitt told broadcaster TV 2 that mobile phones, clothing and an iPad had gone missing. "In connection with the many extra workers, cleaners and housekeepers who have been squeezed into the Olympic village because of our requirements and requests, we have been subjected to a series of thefts," he said, adding that he himself had his iPad stolen. "It's everything from phones, iPads and clothes to something as trivial as bed sheets." Since July 18 the Danish delegation has lodged around 150 complaints over problems in its 36 apartments in the Olympic village. "The buildings are simply not in order," Ulrik Wilbek, sports director of the Danish Handball Federation, told TV 2. The news follows the theft of a laptop and team shirts from the Australian delegation during a fire evacuation on Friday. Australia chef de mission Kitty Chiller said during the evacuation she had noticed three fire marshals apparently stealing the Australia team shirts. "When I arrived, which was halfway through the evacuation, I saw three fire marshals -- I don't know who they were -- walking out with team shirts," she said. "I thought maybe they have helped evacuate people and we've given them a shirt. It doesn't seem to be what happened. "We don't know how many team shirts were taken and, yes, that's concerning." After the fire, Chiller said Rio 2016 organizers had increased security throughout the Olympic village. Rio's crime rate has been one of the biggest concerns heading into the Olympics. China revealed on Friday members of its Olympic delegation had already fallen victim to theft. Mario Andrada, spokesman of Rio 2016, apologised to the tourists and athletes who have been victims. "They are our guests in Brazil. We feel very sorry. I hope they understand that we are very sorry about this," he told China's Xinhua news agency. "We will communicate with the security to make sure we find quickly an answer about why they were robbed, where they were robbed and by whom to see if something could be recovered." Rio Olympics overall security personnel is around 88,000 - the figure is more than double that used for the the London Olympics in 2012. "Don't count money in the street. If you have a nice camera, put it into a bag and only use when you have to take pictures," advised Andrada. "If you are alert, if you are looking around and paying attention, your chance of being a victim will be decreased. The bad guys usually look for people who are not paying attention." Chiller said the vast size of the Olympic Village, which houses thousands of athletes and support staff, theft was "inevitable". (AFP)

Olympics: Rio sorry as Village suffers new theft

Table tennis player Timo Boll will carry the German flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced today. 
 
Thirty-five-year-old Boll, taking part in his fifth Olympics, was announced as flag bearer at a news conference in the German House in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great feeling. I had to let it sink in first of all. I will definitely enjoy it when we go into the stadium. It&#39;s certainly a highlight of my career,&quot; Boll said. 
 
Boll was chosen for the role through a public vote, in which more than 300,000 people took part. 
 
He will carry the torch at the ceremony in Rio on Friday (August 5). 
 
&quot;I have no idea what it will feel like but everyone I&#39;ve spoken to who has already done it says it is a special moment and I will try to remember this,&quot; he said. 
 
He was informed of the decision on Wednesday (August 3) evening and said he called home immediately to tell his family the news. 
 
&quot;We are all really happy and I&#39;m trying to enjoy this moment but will need to come back down to earth very quickly because it will soon be time for the sport but I&#39;ll try to take some of this euphoria with me,&quot; Boll said. 
 
Boll won silver in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in London in 2012. 
 
He is the most successful German table tennis player, making him the best ambassador for the German team, the President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation said. 
 
&quot;As President I can say that Timo Boll is the ambassador, not just the flag bearer, but the trademark ambassador of the team, of Sport Germany here in Rio. We couldn&#39;t have wished for better,&quot; Alfons Hoermann told journalists today. 
 
(Reuters)

Boll, who was taking part in his fifth Olympics, was chosen for the role through a public vote, in which more than 300,000 took part

Table tennis player Timo Boll will carry the German flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced today. Thirty-five-year-old Boll, taking part in his fifth Olympics, was announced as flag bearer at a news conference in the German House in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "It's a great feeling. I had to let it sink in first of all. I will definitely enjoy it when we go into the stadium. It's certainly a highlight of my career," Boll said. Boll was chosen for the role through a public vote, in which more than 300,000 people took part. He will carry the torch at the ceremony in Rio on Friday (August 5). "I have no idea what it will feel like but everyone I've spoken to who has already done it says it is a special moment and I will try to remember this," he said. He was informed of the decision on Wednesday (August 3) evening and said he called home immediately to tell his family the news. "We are all really happy and I'm trying to enjoy this moment but will need to come back down to earth very quickly because it will soon be time for the sport but I'll try to take some of this euphoria with me," Boll said. Boll won silver in Beijing in 2008 and bronze in London in 2012. He is the most successful German table tennis player, making him the best ambassador for the German team, the President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation said. "As President I can say that Timo Boll is the ambassador, not just the flag bearer, but the trademark ambassador of the team, of Sport Germany here in Rio. We couldn't have wished for better," Alfons Hoermann told journalists today. (Reuters)

Table tennis star Timo Boll to carry German flag at Rio Olympics

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. 
 
In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. 
 
According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. 
 
&quot;I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better,&quot; said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. 
 
During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. 
 
The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. 
 
&quot;You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don&#39;t feel any danger right now,&quot; said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t have any fears, I feel pretty secure,&quot; said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. 
 
(Reuters)

According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in venues and all personal items must go through security checks

Armed police and security personnel are patrolling Olympic venues and streets in Rio de Janeiro as Brazil tightens security with the 2016 Summer Olympic Games just around the corner. In addition to the increased security presence, vendors who usually sell beverages and snacks have been banned from working during the games due to the safety concerns. Only those who are officially authorised can trade in designated areas. According to authorities, neither water nor unpacked foods are allowed in Olympic venues, and all personal items must go through security checks. "I feel very good about that [security measures] because there was a lot of fear about the Olympic Games, about all the things happening in Europe, in the United States. And I feel more secure with police here and all the security here. I feel better," said Melanie, an Argentine tourist. During the games, the Brazilian federal police, army and air force, as well as Rio police officers, will work together to patrol all venues, stadiums and related areas 24/7. The enhanced security measures have been hailed by those covering and competing in the Olympics. "You never know all the stuff going outside here, but I don't feel any danger right now," said Michal Gasiorowski, a Polish reporter. "I don't have any fears, I feel pretty secure," said Alexander Choupenitch, a Czech foil fencer. (Reuters)

Brazil steps up security arrangements ahead of Rio Olympics 2016

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony&#39;s executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. 
 
Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. 
 
&quot;There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart,&quot; the Italian producer said at a press conference. 
 
The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. 
 
The limited space in the opening ceremony&#39;s venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. 
 
&quot;The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible,&quot; said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

According to organisers, the opening ceremony has three themes, the garden, diversity and joy

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will display Brazilian creativity to the world, the ceremony's executive producer Marco Balich said on Thursday, just one day before the official opening of the Games. Balich said that although its organizers come from around the globe, the curtain-raiser and its creative elements will show the world a wonderful Brazil from various aspects. "There was no problem between a strong international team supporting and all Brazilian creativity. So what you are going to see is all Brazilian, pure, beautiful creativity from Brazil that will touch the heart," the Italian producer said at a press conference. The opening ceremony has three themes: the garden, diversity and joy, according to organizers. The limited space in the opening ceremony's venue, Maracana Stadium, meant organizers had to overcome many challenges to ensure they could present a wonderful event. "The entrance of the Maracana Stadium is less than two meters high. The stadium is a football stadium, not a track and field stadium, and there is no track in it. So the stadium is relatively small and the stage is also small. Our budget is less than what we expected, but we are used to such things. It is important to be flexible," said Daniela Thomas, a director of the opening ceremony. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today.Some 21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Rio set for 'all Brazilian' Olympic opening ceremony: Organisers

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia&#39;s Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. 
 
Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. 
 
&quot;I think they&#39;ve got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they&#39;ve had but, you know what, on the day, I think they&#39;ll deliver,&quot; said John Beadle from London. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool,&quot; said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. 
 
&quot;I think Rio will pull it off and I&#39;m hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it&#39;s going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we&#39;re going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can,&quot; added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. 
 
The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London&#39;s outlay four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The Rio Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million were spent on the show, about half of what London spent 4 years ago

On the eve of Rio 2016 opening ceremony today, the Sydney Opera House was lit up in Australia's Olympic colours of green and gold with the Olympic rings and national emblem covering the sails of the iconic building. Despite media reports over the past months of possible difficulties surrounding the games, many are confident the games will be a success. "I think they've got some great facilities and I know a lot of people are knocking all the problems they've had but, you know what, on the day, I think they'll deliver," said John Beadle from London. "I'm really looking forward to the opening ceremony and all the different colours of the flags and the different uniforms, they look really cool," said school girl, Charlotte Mowler. "I think Rio will pull it off and I'm hoping all the best for all the teams and all the countries that are there and it's going to be a wonderful spectacle, and here down in Australia we're going to be watching TV and making sure we watch our home town Canada do the best they can," added Canadian tourist, John Vantol. The Rio de Janeiro Olympics opening ceremony will be held today. Some $21 million US dollars have been spent on the show, about half of London's outlay four years ago. (Reuters)

Sydney Opera House lights up in green and gold

Brazil&#39;s Rafaela Silva overcame top seed Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to win gold in the women&#39;s -57kg judo on Monday, sending the crowd into a &nbsp;joyous celebration of their first Olympic gold as the&nbsp;host country. 
 
Silva raised her arms to the crowd in triumph as she beat Dorjsuren on a waza-ari, following a pulsating semi-finals victory that went into extra time against Romania&#39;s Corina Caprioriu. 
 
Gold for Silva marks a fairytale rise to the Olympic podium from a childhood in Rio&#39;s notorious &quot;City of God&quot; favela, and provides redemption for a disappointing London 2012 when she was disqualified in the early rounds for a rule violation. 
 
Portugal&#39;s Telma Monteiro and Japan&#39;s Kaori Matsumoto won bronze. 
 
(Reuters)

Silva defeated Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to win gold in the women's 57kg judo on Monday

Brazil's Rafaela Silva overcame top seed Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia to win gold in the women's -57kg judo on Monday, sending the crowd into a joyous celebration of their first Olympic gold as the host country. Silva raised her arms to the crowd in triumph as she beat Dorjsuren on a waza-ari, following a pulsating semi-finals victory that went into extra time against Romania's Corina Caprioriu. Gold for Silva marks a fairytale rise to the Olympic podium from a childhood in Rio's notorious "City of God" favela, and provides redemption for a disappointing London 2012 when she was disqualified in the early rounds for a rule violation. Portugal's Telma Monteiro and Japan's Kaori Matsumoto won bronze. (Reuters)

Rafaela Silva wins Brazil's first gold medal of Rio Olympics

The Indian men&#39;s hockey team suffered a heartbreaking 1-2 defeat at the hands of Germany after Christopher Ruhr scraped together a last-gasp winner for the two-time reigning champions in their Pool B clash of the Rio Olympics here on Monday. 
 
After a goalless first quarter, it was Germany who opened the scoring first via Niklas Wellen in the 17th minute of the match. India, however, soon responded through penalty corner specialist Rupinder Pal&#39;s strike in the 23rd minute as the second quarter ended at 1-1. 
 
In the third quarter, Germany produced a strong possession but they failed to open up the Indian defence. Although India had a great chance to extend their score in the third quarter when Rupinder smashed a brilliant flick, German goalie Jacobi Nicolas displayed a resilient performance by saving the probable goal. 
 
With just a few minutes left to the final whistle, it was Ruhr who scored a winning goal for Germany as they sunk India to an agonising 2-1 defeat. The victory saw Germany overtake Netherlands for the top spot in the Pool B with six points while India remains in third position with three points. 
 
Earlier, India clinched an impressive 3-2 win over Ireland in their opening Pool B match.The defeat brought back memories of the 2012 London Olympics when India were beaten 2-5 by Germany.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Germany overtake Holland for the top spot. India remain at no. 3 in their pool

The Indian men's hockey team suffered a heartbreaking 1-2 defeat at the hands of Germany after Christopher Ruhr scraped together a last-gasp winner for the two-time reigning champions in their Pool B clash of the Rio Olympics here on Monday. After a goalless first quarter, it was Germany who opened the scoring first via Niklas Wellen in the 17th minute of the match. India, however, soon responded through penalty corner specialist Rupinder Pal's strike in the 23rd minute as the second quarter ended at 1-1. In the third quarter, Germany produced a strong possession but they failed to open up the Indian defence. Although India had a great chance to extend their score in the third quarter when Rupinder smashed a brilliant flick, German goalie Jacobi Nicolas displayed a resilient performance by saving the probable goal. With just a few minutes left to the final whistle, it was Ruhr who scored a winning goal for Germany as they sunk India to an agonising 2-1 defeat. The victory saw Germany overtake Netherlands for the top spot in the Pool B with six points while India remains in third position with three points. Earlier, India clinched an impressive 3-2 win over Ireland in their opening Pool B match.The defeat brought back memories of the 2012 London Olympics when India were beaten 2-5 by Germany. (ANI)

Rio Olympics: With just a few minutes to go, Germany score to beat India 2-1 in hockey

&nbsp;An anti-bomb squad at the Olympic Games in Rio detonated an unattended backpack near the end of the cycling course on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the public security department said. 
 
Officials suspect the bag may have belonged to a homeless man, but protocol requires any unattended object be destroyed, she said. The controlled blast occurred at 1.45 pm (4.45 pm GMT), the spokeswoman said. 
 
A loud blast was heard near the finishing line of the men&#39;s cycling road race at the Rio Olympics today but there were no signs of panic or injuries and the race continued, a Reuters witness said. 
 
In recent days, bomb squad members have detonated a number of unattended bags in controlled explosions in Rio. 
 
( Reuters)

Officials suspect the bag may have belonged to a homeless man but protocol dictated any unattended object be destroyed

An anti-bomb squad at the Olympic Games in Rio detonated an unattended backpack near the end of the cycling course on Saturday, a spokeswoman for the public security department said. Officials suspect the bag may have belonged to a homeless man, but protocol requires any unattended object be destroyed, she said. The controlled blast occurred at 1.45 pm (4.45 pm GMT), the spokeswoman said. A loud blast was heard near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race at the Rio Olympics today but there were no signs of panic or injuries and the race continued, a Reuters witness said. In recent days, bomb squad members have detonated a number of unattended bags in controlled explosions in Rio. ( Reuters)

Rio bomb squad blows up backpack near cycling course

French gymnast Samir A?t Sa?d suffered a horrific double leg fracture at the Rio Olympics on Saturday as shocked rivals questioned the scoring system which pushes competitors to try increasingly dangerous moves. 
 
The 26-year-old snapped the lower part of his left leg landing badly while competing in the vault in the men&#39;s qualifying at the Rio Olympic Arena. The French delegation later confirmed he had suffered a double tibia and fibula fracture. 
 
Ait Said fell to the mat in agony clutching the back of his knee and the lower part of his leg, which visibly flopped to one side to gasps of horror from the crowd. 
 
He was treated by medical staff for several minutes before being stretchered off to applause from the crowd. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re still overcome by emotion, it&#39;s unexpected, dramatic,&quot; French national team director Corinne Callon said. 
 
&quot;I am proud of the team, there were still three rotations and they did well to finish, they managed to regroup and now they&#39;re overcome.&quot; 
 
It is the second Olympic blow for the gymnast from Antibes who missed the London Games because of a knee injury.&nbsp; 
 
Fellow gymnasts were visibly shocked. 
 
&quot;I was warming up when I saw it on TV,&quot; said Germany&#39;s Fabien Hambuechen, a silver medallist from London 2012 on the horizonal bar. 
 
The German team were also reeling after national all-around champion Andreas Toba was forced out earlier with a knee injury. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s always more difficult, higher risk. It&#39;s getting dangerous,&quot; said Hambuechen. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t like this new system. I&#39;m the guy who still loves the 10.0. It was a simple system. It was more flexible for everyone. The new system is pushing people and making it dangerous.&quot; 
 
American Danell Leyva, the 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medallist, added: &quot;I heard other gymnasts say &#39;don&#39;t look, don&#39;t look. 
 
&quot;Even though we&#39;re on different teams we know each other and I&#39;ve known Samir since I was 14. It really sucks, but we have a job to do.&quot; 
 
Rings specialist A?t-Said, a former European champion, was France&#39;s leading medal hope on the rings apparatus in Rio. 
 
He had been third overall on rings with a score of 15.533 in early qualifying behind world champion Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece (15.833) and Olympic champion Arthur Zanetti of Brazil. Zanetti also scored 15.533 but had a higher execution mark than the French gymnast. 
 
Toba suffered a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during his execution of the floor routine. 
 
The 25-year-old was helped off, but continued on the pommel horse, before hobbling off. 
 
The perfect 10.0 scoring system was revamped after a scoring controversy at the 2004 Athens Games gymnasts have since been awarded points starting at an initial 10-point score. Gymnasts are also given scores based on the difficulty of their routine. 
 
(AFP)

Fellow gymnasts questioned the scoring system which pushes competitors to try increasingly dangerous moves

French gymnast Samir A?t Sa?d suffered a horrific double leg fracture at the Rio Olympics on Saturday as shocked rivals questioned the scoring system which pushes competitors to try increasingly dangerous moves. The 26-year-old snapped the lower part of his left leg landing badly while competing in the vault in the men's qualifying at the Rio Olympic Arena. The French delegation later confirmed he had suffered a double tibia and fibula fracture. Ait Said fell to the mat in agony clutching the back of his knee and the lower part of his leg, which visibly flopped to one side to gasps of horror from the crowd. He was treated by medical staff for several minutes before being stretchered off to applause from the crowd. "We're still overcome by emotion, it's unexpected, dramatic," French national team director Corinne Callon said. "I am proud of the team, there were still three rotations and they did well to finish, they managed to regroup and now they're overcome." It is the second Olympic blow for the gymnast from Antibes who missed the London Games because of a knee injury. Fellow gymnasts were visibly shocked. "I was warming up when I saw it on TV," said Germany's Fabien Hambuechen, a silver medallist from London 2012 on the horizonal bar. The German team were also reeling after national all-around champion Andreas Toba was forced out earlier with a knee injury. "There's always more difficult, higher risk. It's getting dangerous," said Hambuechen. "I don't like this new system. I'm the guy who still loves the 10.0. It was a simple system. It was more flexible for everyone. The new system is pushing people and making it dangerous." American Danell Leyva, the 2012 Olympic all-around bronze medallist, added: "I heard other gymnasts say 'don't look, don't look. "Even though we're on different teams we know each other and I've known Samir since I was 14. It really sucks, but we have a job to do." Rings specialist A?t-Said, a former European champion, was France's leading medal hope on the rings apparatus in Rio. He had been third overall on rings with a score of 15.533 in early qualifying behind world champion Eleftherios Petrounias of Greece (15.833) and Olympic champion Arthur Zanetti of Brazil. Zanetti also scored 15.533 but had a higher execution mark than the French gymnast. Toba suffered a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during his execution of the floor routine. The 25-year-old was helped off, but continued on the pommel horse, before hobbling off. The perfect 10.0 scoring system was revamped after a scoring controversy at the 2004 Athens Games gymnasts have since been awarded points starting at an initial 10-point score. Gymnasts are also given scores based on the difficulty of their routine. (AFP)

French gymnast breaks leg during difficult manoeuvre

Former Olympic champion Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round at the Rio Games on Saturday after Belgian underdog Kirsten Flipkens mounted a spirited fight back to cause the biggest upset of the opening day. 
 
Another notable casualty on the first day of competition was former world Number 1 Ana Ivanovic, who surged ahead in the first set against world Number 12 Carla Suarez Navarro but lost 2-6 6-1 6-2 after two error-strewn sets. 
 
With US secretary of state John Kerry and gymnastics gold medal favourite Simone Biles looking on, seven-times grand slam winner Williams won the first set but became frustrated as the match wore on, losing 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) to the world number 62. 
 
Flipkens collapsed on to the court after winning the final set tie-breaker and the rowdy Brazilian crowd serenaded her with chants of &quot;ole, ole, ole&quot;. 
 
Flipkens later thanked the &quot;amazing&quot; Brazilian crowd for helping her pull off one of the biggest wins of her career. 
 
&quot;To beat Venus Williams on the centre court, one of the biggest champions in our history, that (gave me) goosebumps all over the place,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
The loss will not be the end of the competition for 2000 Sydney Games champion Williams, however, as the 36-year-old is bidding to win her fourth doubles gold medal with sister Serena. 
 
Former French Open winner Ivanovic rued letting her chances slip away. 
 
&quot;I had a chance to come back in the third set but every time I came close to pegging her back, I missed the opportunity,&quot; said the world Number 26. 
 
Ivanovic&#39;s match, like all the others on centre court, was played in a stadium that was more than half empty, something likely to disappoint organisers. 
 
But the size of crowds did not bother Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori, who opened the men&#39;s singles tennis tournament on centre court by knocking out Spain&#39;s Albert Ramos-Vi?olas with ease, winning 6-2 6-4 in two sets. 
 
Some players said conditions were tricky due to soaring temperatures and a strong breeze drifting across from the ocean. 
 
&quot;Here it&rsquo;s very difficult to play because it&rsquo;s fairly open, there is constantly some kind of wind,&quot; said Croatia&#39;s Marin Cilic, who beat Bulgaria&#39;s Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-4. 
 
One player who thrived in the Rio sun was Australia&#39;s John Millman, who became the first Olympian to win a men&#39;s singles match without losing a game. 
 
Millman&#39;s &quot;double-bagel&quot; 6-0, 6-0 victory came against Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis. The Australian, who has battled back to fitness after several shoulder surgeries that threatened his career, took part in Friday&#39;s late-night opening ceremony, which many Olympians competing early on Saturday skipped. 
 
&quot;That was a really stirring moment for me. It&#39;s hard to explain the emotions I got walking into that stadium, and obviously that carried over to today,&quot; said the 27-year-old. 
 
(Reuters)

World number 62, the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, mounted a spirited fightback and beat her 4-6 6-3 7-6(5)

Former Olympic champion Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round at the Rio Games on Saturday after Belgian underdog Kirsten Flipkens mounted a spirited fight back to cause the biggest upset of the opening day. Another notable casualty on the first day of competition was former world Number 1 Ana Ivanovic, who surged ahead in the first set against world Number 12 Carla Suarez Navarro but lost 2-6 6-1 6-2 after two error-strewn sets. With US secretary of state John Kerry and gymnastics gold medal favourite Simone Biles looking on, seven-times grand slam winner Williams won the first set but became frustrated as the match wore on, losing 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) to the world number 62. Flipkens collapsed on to the court after winning the final set tie-breaker and the rowdy Brazilian crowd serenaded her with chants of "ole, ole, ole". Flipkens later thanked the "amazing" Brazilian crowd for helping her pull off one of the biggest wins of her career. "To beat Venus Williams on the centre court, one of the biggest champions in our history, that (gave me) goosebumps all over the place," she told reporters. The loss will not be the end of the competition for 2000 Sydney Games champion Williams, however, as the 36-year-old is bidding to win her fourth doubles gold medal with sister Serena. Former French Open winner Ivanovic rued letting her chances slip away. "I had a chance to come back in the third set but every time I came close to pegging her back, I missed the opportunity," said the world Number 26. Ivanovic's match, like all the others on centre court, was played in a stadium that was more than half empty, something likely to disappoint organisers. But the size of crowds did not bother Japan's Kei Nishikori, who opened the men's singles tennis tournament on centre court by knocking out Spain's Albert Ramos-Vi?olas with ease, winning 6-2 6-4 in two sets. Some players said conditions were tricky due to soaring temperatures and a strong breeze drifting across from the ocean. "Here it’s very difficult to play because it’s fairly open, there is constantly some kind of wind," said Croatia's Marin Cilic, who beat Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-4. One player who thrived in the Rio sun was Australia's John Millman, who became the first Olympian to win a men's singles match without losing a game. Millman's "double-bagel" 6-0, 6-0 victory came against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis. The Australian, who has battled back to fitness after several shoulder surgeries that threatened his career, took part in Friday's late-night opening ceremony, which many Olympians competing early on Saturday skipped. "That was a really stirring moment for me. It's hard to explain the emotions I got walking into that stadium, and obviously that carried over to today," said the 27-year-old. (Reuters)

Venus knocked out in Rio upset

The Rio Olympics were going to be a disaster, right? Well try telling that to the crowds of locals and tourists flocking to the Olympic flame in central Rio on Saturday. 
 
After weeks of tension over security, unready facilities, the Zika virus and pollution, Friday night&#39;s trouble-free opening ceremony appeared to have taught Brazilians and foreigners alike to love the Games. 
 
Even as a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray bullet hit a press tent at the Olympic equestrian centre, the mood in Rio&#39;s centre remained upbeat. 
 
&quot;People are proud after the ceremony. A lot of people -- definitely me -- feared a disaster,&quot; said Fabiana Amaral, 32, who came to visit the flame in Rio&#39;s new pedestrian Olympic Boulevard with her family. 
 
&quot;Now we&#39;re proud. Brazil has a lot of culture and we showed that off, we showed that we&#39;re not just about cliches of women&#39;s bums and football,&quot; Amaral, an architect, said. 
 
In the hot sunshine tourists poured along the boulevard. Hundreds stopped for selfies in front of the flame, which was transferred to a silver cauldron there after the ceremony in the Maracana stadium. 
 
The unusual arrangement for the flame -- traditionally it is kept burning inside the main Olympic stadium -- has helped warm the city&#39;s attitude to the Games. 
 
&quot;This flame is for the people. It&#39;s great for ordinary people who can&#39;t pay for tickets or for all the transport. They can easily come here,&quot; said Aline Motta, 48, a chemical engineer. 
 
&quot;We were so worried before. We were very concerned about what would happen, but the party last night was amazing,&quot; she said. &quot;We are proud at this moment.&quot; 
 
No fear! 
 
If Brazilians are embracing their Olympics, foreigners are discovering they don&#39;t have to feel quite so afraid. 
 
Rio does have horrific crime problems. 
 
The shooting by police of a mugger near the Maracana on Friday and the fatal mugging of a woman near the Olympic Boulevard a few hours earlier were just part of a toll reaching almost five violent deaths a day. 
 
But as Guy Horcasitas, a tech security entrepreneur from California, found out, Rio is also a place where good things happen to tourists. 
 
&quot;I had a little too much to drink last night and fell asleep in the street in Lapa,&quot; said Horcasitas, 39, with a wry grin. 
 
&quot;This morning I woke up and everything was still in my pockets.&quot; 
 
&quot;Yeah,&quot; he said, laughing, &quot;it&#39;s that bad here!&quot; 
 
Australian athletes&#39; tribulations in the Olympic Village -- blocked toilets, a fire and theft of equipment -- became a symbol of Rio&#39;s organisational hiccups. 
 
But Australia&#39;s consul general in Rio, Kym Fullgrabe, said all that is in the past now. 
 
&quot;Bad news travels fast but there are good news stories too,&quot; Fullgrabe said on the Olympic Boulevard. 
 
He gestured at the pedestrian area, which used to be an inaccessible freeway. 
 
&quot;People who say there&#39;s no (positive) legacy for Rio should come and look at this. It&#39;s a wonderful area now,&quot; he said. 
 
Keith Willing, a Florida salesman visiting the Olympics with his family, said he had travelled enough abroad to know that things might not be as bad as painted. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t always believe what we read. We know how to filter it,&quot; Willing, 58, said. 
 
His daughter Tamra Willing-Silva, 29, added: &quot;You can&#39;t put Brazil in a box.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The mood remained upbeat in Rio despite a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray gun shot fired into the press centre

The Rio Olympics were going to be a disaster, right? Well try telling that to the crowds of locals and tourists flocking to the Olympic flame in central Rio on Saturday. After weeks of tension over security, unready facilities, the Zika virus and pollution, Friday night's trouble-free opening ceremony appeared to have taught Brazilians and foreigners alike to love the Games. Even as a controlled explosion near the cycling venue and a stray bullet hit a press tent at the Olympic equestrian centre, the mood in Rio's centre remained upbeat. "People are proud after the ceremony. A lot of people -- definitely me -- feared a disaster," said Fabiana Amaral, 32, who came to visit the flame in Rio's new pedestrian Olympic Boulevard with her family. "Now we're proud. Brazil has a lot of culture and we showed that off, we showed that we're not just about cliches of women's bums and football," Amaral, an architect, said. In the hot sunshine tourists poured along the boulevard. Hundreds stopped for selfies in front of the flame, which was transferred to a silver cauldron there after the ceremony in the Maracana stadium. The unusual arrangement for the flame -- traditionally it is kept burning inside the main Olympic stadium -- has helped warm the city's attitude to the Games. "This flame is for the people. It's great for ordinary people who can't pay for tickets or for all the transport. They can easily come here," said Aline Motta, 48, a chemical engineer. "We were so worried before. We were very concerned about what would happen, but the party last night was amazing," she said. "We are proud at this moment." No fear! If Brazilians are embracing their Olympics, foreigners are discovering they don't have to feel quite so afraid. Rio does have horrific crime problems. The shooting by police of a mugger near the Maracana on Friday and the fatal mugging of a woman near the Olympic Boulevard a few hours earlier were just part of a toll reaching almost five violent deaths a day. But as Guy Horcasitas, a tech security entrepreneur from California, found out, Rio is also a place where good things happen to tourists. "I had a little too much to drink last night and fell asleep in the street in Lapa," said Horcasitas, 39, with a wry grin. "This morning I woke up and everything was still in my pockets." "Yeah," he said, laughing, "it's that bad here!" Australian athletes' tribulations in the Olympic Village -- blocked toilets, a fire and theft of equipment -- became a symbol of Rio's organisational hiccups. But Australia's consul general in Rio, Kym Fullgrabe, said all that is in the past now. "Bad news travels fast but there are good news stories too," Fullgrabe said on the Olympic Boulevard. He gestured at the pedestrian area, which used to be an inaccessible freeway. "People who say there's no (positive) legacy for Rio should come and look at this. It's a wonderful area now," he said. Keith Willing, a Florida salesman visiting the Olympics with his family, said he had travelled enough abroad to know that things might not be as bad as painted. "We don't always believe what we read. We know how to filter it," Willing, 58, said. His daughter Tamra Willing-Silva, 29, added: "You can't put Brazil in a box." (AFP)

After trouble-free opening ceremony, Brazilians finally learn to love their Olympics

A bullet which tore through the media centre of the Olympic equestrian venue on Saturday was not targeting the Games, Rio 2016 organisers said, describing the security scare as an &quot;unfortunate incident.&quot; 
 
No one was injured, but a TVNZ report said the bullet narrowly missed a New Zealand team official who was badly shaken by the incident. 
 
Rio 2016 chief spokesman Mario Andrada said authorities were carrying out ballistics tests to determine what kind of round was used and where it was fired from. 
 
&quot;The bullet came from outside and technical experts from the local police are investigating all relevant traces like distance and direction and the type of the bullet,&quot; Andrada said. 
 
&quot;All authorities assured that the bullet was a stray bullet that has nothing to do with the Games or the Olympic family or the press. The area was not a target. 
 
&quot;Security around the area is in place. It was an unfortunate incident. As soon as more information is available it will be disclosed immediately.&quot; 
 
New Zealand&#39;s Olympic team said the bullet had been &quot;unintentionally fired&quot; and landed on the media centre floor. 
 
&quot;The New Zealand police assessment is that the bullet was fired unintentionally rather than with intent,&quot; the statement said. 
 
&quot;We have advised all team members to remain within the accredited areas at the venue and travel bubble to bubble. Team members should remain aware and exercise caution.&quot; 
 
The Deodoro equestrian venue, where the first day of the dressage competition was held on Saturday, is located on a military base. 
 
Rio is notorious for gun crime and there were two fatal shootings near Olympic venues on Friday, including one outside the Maracana stadium where the opening ceremony took place. 
 
On Saturday, bomb-disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion near the finish line of the cycling road race at Copacabana beach. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Rio organisers said the authorities were conducting ballistics tests to determine the direction and type of bullet

A bullet which tore through the media centre of the Olympic equestrian venue on Saturday was not targeting the Games, Rio 2016 organisers said, describing the security scare as an "unfortunate incident." No one was injured, but a TVNZ report said the bullet narrowly missed a New Zealand team official who was badly shaken by the incident. Rio 2016 chief spokesman Mario Andrada said authorities were carrying out ballistics tests to determine what kind of round was used and where it was fired from. "The bullet came from outside and technical experts from the local police are investigating all relevant traces like distance and direction and the type of the bullet," Andrada said. "All authorities assured that the bullet was a stray bullet that has nothing to do with the Games or the Olympic family or the press. The area was not a target. "Security around the area is in place. It was an unfortunate incident. As soon as more information is available it will be disclosed immediately." New Zealand's Olympic team said the bullet had been "unintentionally fired" and landed on the media centre floor. "The New Zealand police assessment is that the bullet was fired unintentionally rather than with intent," the statement said. "We have advised all team members to remain within the accredited areas at the venue and travel bubble to bubble. Team members should remain aware and exercise caution." The Deodoro equestrian venue, where the first day of the dressage competition was held on Saturday, is located on a military base. Rio is notorious for gun crime and there were two fatal shootings near Olympic venues on Friday, including one outside the Maracana stadium where the opening ceremony took place. On Saturday, bomb-disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion near the finish line of the cycling road race at Copacabana beach. (AFP)

Rio Olympics: Stray bullet narrowly misses New Zealand official at Olympic media centre

Australia&#39;s women, powered by sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell, beat the United States and Canada to win the Olympic 4x100 metres freestyle relay in world record time on Saturday, retaining the title they won in London four years ago. 
 
The Australians, leading off with Emma McKeon and Brittany Elmslie swimming the second leg, clocked three minutes, 30.65 seconds, beating the previous mark of 3:30.98 they set in Glasgow in 2014. 
 
The medal came on top of a win for Mack Horton in the men&#39;s 400m freestyle. 
 
It meant that after one day of competition in the Rio pool, Australia have already doubled their tally of golds from a disappointing Games in London in 2012. 
 
The Australian women won by an emphatic 1.24 seconds from the American team of Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecky. 
 
&quot;I think the swim team is in a very good place - doubled medal tally from London,&quot; Horton told a news conference. &quot;The youth of the swim team brings a lot of potential, I think that&#39;s why we&#39;re in such a good place.&quot; 
 
The Americans had led at half-way, but Bronte Campbell overhauled Vollmer on the third leg and handed over a lead that sister Cate never looked like surrendering to Ledecky. 
 
Canada&#39;s Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem, Taylor Ruck and Penelope Oleksiak took the bronze ahead of London silver medallists the Netherlands, who were anchored by triple Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo. 
 
The Dutch team&#39;s third leg was swum by Inge Dekker, taking part in her fourth Olympics, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in February and underwent surgery in March. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Team includes sisters Bronte & Cate Campbell; the Aussies had also won in London four years ago

Australia's women, powered by sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell, beat the United States and Canada to win the Olympic 4x100 metres freestyle relay in world record time on Saturday, retaining the title they won in London four years ago. The Australians, leading off with Emma McKeon and Brittany Elmslie swimming the second leg, clocked three minutes, 30.65 seconds, beating the previous mark of 3:30.98 they set in Glasgow in 2014. The medal came on top of a win for Mack Horton in the men's 400m freestyle. It meant that after one day of competition in the Rio pool, Australia have already doubled their tally of golds from a disappointing Games in London in 2012. The Australian women won by an emphatic 1.24 seconds from the American team of Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecky. "I think the swim team is in a very good place - doubled medal tally from London," Horton told a news conference. "The youth of the swim team brings a lot of potential, I think that's why we're in such a good place." The Americans had led at half-way, but Bronte Campbell overhauled Vollmer on the third leg and handed over a lead that sister Cate never looked like surrendering to Ledecky. Canada's Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem, Taylor Ruck and Penelope Oleksiak took the bronze ahead of London silver medallists the Netherlands, who were anchored by triple Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo. The Dutch team's third leg was swum by Inge Dekker, taking part in her fourth Olympics, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in February and underwent surgery in March. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics: Aussie women win 4x100m freestyle relay, set new world record of 3 mins, 30.65 secs

India&#39;s boxing campaign at Rio Olympics kicked off on a positive note as boxer Vikas Krishan stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the men&#39;s middleweight (75 kg) bout after knocking down US&#39; Charles Conwel 3-0 on Wednesday. 
 
The 24-year-old, who hails from Haryana&#39;s Hisar district, outclassed 18-year-old debutant Conwell 30-27, 29-28, 28-29 in three rounds of the thrilling preliminary bout. 
 
Krishan, the first of three Indian boxers, seems to have taken the revenge of his 2012 London Games defeat, when he lost to another American Errol Spence in the quarter-finals. 
 
The 2014 Asian Games Bronze medallist will now return to action on Saturday when he takes on Turkey&#39;s Onder Sipal in the round of 16. Meanwhile. Indian team&#39;s senior-most boxer Manoj Kumar (64kg), the other athlete in fray, will be in action against Lithuania&#39;s former lightweight Olympic bronze-medallist Evaldas Petrauskas on later today. 
 
The squad&#39;s youngest Shiva Thapa (56kg), a World Championships bronze medallist, will square off against Cuba&#39;s Robeisy Ramirez. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Krishan, the first of three Indian boxers, seems to have taken the revenge of his 2012 London Games defeat

India's boxing campaign at Rio Olympics kicked off on a positive note as boxer Vikas Krishan stormed into the pre-quarterfinals of the men's middleweight (75 kg) bout after knocking down US' Charles Conwel 3-0 on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, who hails from Haryana's Hisar district, outclassed 18-year-old debutant Conwell 30-27, 29-28, 28-29 in three rounds of the thrilling preliminary bout. Krishan, the first of three Indian boxers, seems to have taken the revenge of his 2012 London Games defeat, when he lost to another American Errol Spence in the quarter-finals. The 2014 Asian Games Bronze medallist will now return to action on Saturday when he takes on Turkey's Onder Sipal in the round of 16. Meanwhile. Indian team's senior-most boxer Manoj Kumar (64kg), the other athlete in fray, will be in action against Lithuania's former lightweight Olympic bronze-medallist Evaldas Petrauskas on later today. The squad's youngest Shiva Thapa (56kg), a World Championships bronze medallist, will square off against Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez. (ANI)

Indian boxer Krishan enters pre-quarters of men's middleweight 75-kg category in Rio

A federal judge in Rio has issued an injunction overruling a government ban on political banners or slogans during the Olympic Games, allowing &quot;peaceful&quot; demonstrations. 
 
Judge Joao Augusto Carneiro Ara?jo issued the injunction late on Monday following a request by federal prosecutors who questioned the ban decided by the governments of Brazil and Rio state and the Rio2016 organising committee. 
 
The prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. The judge&#39;s injunction can be appealed against and, being a constitutional issue, could end up in the Supreme Court. 
 
The expulsion from Olympic venues of spectators carrying banners or shouting slogans against interim President Michel Temer stirred outcry on social media, but Games organisers threw their support behind the move. 
 
A video of security guards in red berets and camouflage gear surrounding a man holding a &quot;Temer Out&quot; banner and manhandling him from the stands of the archery event on Saturday prompted a barrage of criticism from Brazilians. 
 
(Reuters)

Prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression

A federal judge in Rio has issued an injunction overruling a government ban on political banners or slogans during the Olympic Games, allowing "peaceful" demonstrations. Judge Joao Augusto Carneiro Ara?jo issued the injunction late on Monday following a request by federal prosecutors who questioned the ban decided by the governments of Brazil and Rio state and the Rio2016 organising committee. The prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. The judge's injunction can be appealed against and, being a constitutional issue, could end up in the Supreme Court. The expulsion from Olympic venues of spectators carrying banners or shouting slogans against interim President Michel Temer stirred outcry on social media, but Games organisers threw their support behind the move. A video of security guards in red berets and camouflage gear surrounding a man holding a "Temer Out" banner and manhandling him from the stands of the archery event on Saturday prompted a barrage of criticism from Brazilians. (Reuters)

Rio judge overrules ban on political demos at Olympics

Chinese Olympic swimmer Chen Xinyi was a no-show at the women&#39;s 50 metre freestyle heats on Friday after Chinese state media said she had failed a dope test at the Rio Games.

The Xinhua news agency, citing the country&#39;s swimming association (CSA), said Chen had tested positive for a banned substance on August&nbsp;7 in the latest doping scandal to mar competition at the Games.

Chen was listed on the official start sheets on Friday as the heats got under way and then recorded on the results as DNS (did not start).

Controversies over doping overshadowed the build-up to Rio and, far from dying down as events got under way, have flared anew as US&nbsp;and Australian competitors have branded their Russian and Chinese rivals drug cheats.

Chen, 18, failed a test for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide and had applied to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a hearing to look into the matter, Xinhua said.

It added that the CSA had required Chen to cooperate with the investigation.

&quot;If the assertion is true, the CSA will earnestly implement anti-doping regulations and safeguard legal interests according to law,&quot; Xinhua cited an unnamed CSA official as saying in a statement.

&quot;The Chinese Swimming Association resolutely opposes the use of banned substances, will actively cooperate with the investigation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and respect its final ruling,&quot; the official said.

Hydrochlorothiazide, known as a masking agent, is a banned substance because it can be used to spur weight loss and cover up the presence of other illegal drugs by diluting urine collected in doping tests.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in March that it would investigate allegations that Chinese swimming covered up positive tests ahead of Olympic trials. 
 
China,which topped the medals table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and came in second at the 2012 London Games behind the United States, has said it has a zero-tolerance approach to doping and had taken &quot;all necessary measures&quot; to ensure that its athletes were clean.

Chen finished fourth in the women&#39;s 100m butterfly final on Sunday.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t quite perfect but there are no regrets after trying one&#39;s hardest,&quot; Chen wrote on her official microblog on Monday in her only post this year.

&quot;Go team China!&quot; she said.

Doping allegations have plagued this year&#39;s swimming competitions after Australian Mack Horton called his rival and fellow Olympic swimming gold medallist Sun Yang a &quot;drug cheat&quot;, and US&nbsp;gold medallist Lily King criticised Russia&#39;s twice-banned swimmer Yulia Efimova.

Sun was revealed two years ago to have secretly served a three-month suspension for using a banned stimulant. He said at the time the stimulant was medication to treat a heart issue and did not enhance his performance.

Efimova was allowed to compete at the Games only after winning an appeal against a ban for a previous doping offence. 
 
(Reuters)

Chen had tested positive for a banned substance on August?7 in the latest doping scandal to mar competition at the Games

Chinese Olympic swimmer Chen Xinyi was a no-show at the women's 50 metre freestyle heats on Friday after Chinese state media said she had failed a dope test at the Rio Games. The Xinhua news agency, citing the country's swimming association (CSA), said Chen had tested positive for a banned substance on August 7 in the latest doping scandal to mar competition at the Games. Chen was listed on the official start sheets on Friday as the heats got under way and then recorded on the results as DNS (did not start). Controversies over doping overshadowed the build-up to Rio and, far from dying down as events got under way, have flared anew as US and Australian competitors have branded their Russian and Chinese rivals drug cheats. Chen, 18, failed a test for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide and had applied to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a hearing to look into the matter, Xinhua said. It added that the CSA had required Chen to cooperate with the investigation. "If the assertion is true, the CSA will earnestly implement anti-doping regulations and safeguard legal interests according to law," Xinhua cited an unnamed CSA official as saying in a statement. "The Chinese Swimming Association resolutely opposes the use of banned substances, will actively cooperate with the investigation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and respect its final ruling," the official said. Hydrochlorothiazide, known as a masking agent, is a banned substance because it can be used to spur weight loss and cover up the presence of other illegal drugs by diluting urine collected in doping tests. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in March that it would investigate allegations that Chinese swimming covered up positive tests ahead of Olympic trials. China,which topped the medals table at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and came in second at the 2012 London Games behind the United States, has said it has a zero-tolerance approach to doping and had taken "all necessary measures" to ensure that its athletes were clean. Chen finished fourth in the women's 100m butterfly final on Sunday. "It wasn't quite perfect but there are no regrets after trying one's hardest," Chen wrote on her official microblog on Monday in her only post this year. "Go team China!" she said. Doping allegations have plagued this year's swimming competitions after Australian Mack Horton called his rival and fellow Olympic swimming gold medallist Sun Yang a "drug cheat", and US gold medallist Lily King criticised Russia's twice-banned swimmer Yulia Efimova. Sun was revealed two years ago to have secretly served a three-month suspension for using a banned stimulant. He said at the time the stimulant was medication to treat a heart issue and did not enhance his performance. Efimova was allowed to compete at the Games only after winning an appeal against a ban for a previous doping offence. (Reuters)

Chinese swimmer Chen Xinyi fails doping test

Olympic champion and world number one Serena Williams tumbled out of the Rio de Janeiro singles competition in the third round on Tuesday after a shock defeat to Ukraine&#39;s Elina Svitolina. 
 
Svitolina, who is ranked 20th in the world, stunned the London Games gold medallist 6-4 6-3 to record a memorable victory against the American, who has won 22 grand slam singles titles. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s an unreal feeling for me. This is just a perfect moment,&quot; said Svitolina, who will face Czech Republic&#39;s Petra Kvitova in the quarter finals. 
 
Williams was visibly frustrated throughout the match as she struggling to find her range, making 37 unforced errors compared to 17 by Svitolina. 
 
Late in the second set, Williams served five double faults in a single game, which drew gasps from a shocked audience. 
 
Williams, who has won three women&#39;s doubles Olympic titles with sister Venus, was also eliminated with her sister from the doubles on Sunday. 
 
(Reuters)

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina stunned Williams 6-4 6-3 to record a memorable victory against the American

Olympic champion and world number one Serena Williams tumbled out of the Rio de Janeiro singles competition in the third round on Tuesday after a shock defeat to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. Svitolina, who is ranked 20th in the world, stunned the London Games gold medallist 6-4 6-3 to record a memorable victory against the American, who has won 22 grand slam singles titles. "It's an unreal feeling for me. This is just a perfect moment," said Svitolina, who will face Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova in the quarter finals. Williams was visibly frustrated throughout the match as she struggling to find her range, making 37 unforced errors compared to 17 by Svitolina. Late in the second set, Williams served five double faults in a single game, which drew gasps from a shocked audience. Williams, who has won three women's doubles Olympic titles with sister Venus, was also eliminated with her sister from the doubles on Sunday. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Serena Williams eliminated in third-round upset

&nbsp;A bus carrying journalists at the Rio Games was hit by gunfire on a highway between Olympic venues on Tuesday, witnesses said. No one was seriously injured in the incident. 
 
The bus was making its way from the Games basketball venue to the main Olympic park when, according to passengers, two shots were heard hitting the vehicle. Windows shattered and flying glass left two people with minor lacerations. 
 
&quot;We were shot at. I mean we could hear the report of the gun,&quot; said Sherryl &quot;Lee&quot; Michaelson, a retired US air force captain who is working for a basketball publication in Rio. 
 
Brazilian police were not immediately available for comment. 
 
Violent street crime in Rio has left its mark on South America&#39;s first Olympic Games. On Saturday, a bullet hit the equestrian centre, missing journalists there by just a few feet. That bullet was suspected to have been fired by a gang member trying to shoot down a police blimp or drone, officials said. 
 
(Reuters)

The bus carrying journalists was making its way from the Games basketball venue to the main Olympic park when two shots hit the vehicle

A bus carrying journalists at the Rio Games was hit by gunfire on a highway between Olympic venues on Tuesday, witnesses said. No one was seriously injured in the incident. The bus was making its way from the Games basketball venue to the main Olympic park when, according to passengers, two shots were heard hitting the vehicle. Windows shattered and flying glass left two people with minor lacerations. "We were shot at. I mean we could hear the report of the gun," said Sherryl "Lee" Michaelson, a retired US air force captain who is working for a basketball publication in Rio. Brazilian police were not immediately available for comment. Violent street crime in Rio has left its mark on South America's first Olympic Games. On Saturday, a bullet hit the equestrian centre, missing journalists there by just a few feet. That bullet was suspected to have been fired by a gang member trying to shoot down a police blimp or drone, officials said. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Games' media bus hit by gunfire, claim witnesses

India is famously crazy about cricket, but that sporting fever doesn&rsquo;t carry over to the Olympics. Despite its enormous population, India&rsquo;s TV ratings for the 2008 Beijing Olympics were the world&rsquo;s third lowest. But sometimes it&rsquo;s not about how many fans you make, but who they are. 
 
Ayonika Paul is a 23-year-old shooter from Mumbai. Paul couldn&rsquo;t wait for Rio 2016 to start, where she&rsquo;s competing in her first ever Olympics. But the Games didn&rsquo;t always get her excited. 
 
&ldquo;Truly speaking, I never watched Olympic Games on television except in 2012,&rdquo; she admits. &nbsp;Here in India she was hardly alone, and who could blame her? India had only won 13 medals in the ten Olympics before Beijing 2012. 
 
So how did Paul and the Olympics come together? &ldquo;At the beginning it was completely on my parents, right from equipment, ammunition, travel, coaching, accommodation, et cetera. Coming from a sports background my parents totally accepted my love and craze for this sport.&rdquo; Support and passion: the two ingredients all future Olympians have before they make it. 
 
In her youth, Paul showed obvious promise competing against seniors in World Cups while still a junior. That&rsquo;s how she got discovered.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;After four years, Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ, an Indian talent scout) took me under their wing, and since then OGQ has funded my training.&rdquo; But this is where Paul experienced a setback. She had been fortunate, but agonizingly, not quite enough. 
 
&ldquo;Of course had it been a bit earlier, I would have made it in the 2012 Olympics, too. I missed the quota by only 0.1.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
Watching the Olympics on TV instead of competing in them couldn&lsquo;t have been easy, but rather than feel sorry for herself she got to work. 
 
&ldquo;In 2012, I realised I needed a foreign trainer with advanced know-how...now I am seeing the results.&rdquo; 
 
Her story is rare. Most Indians don&rsquo;t go from being oblivious about the Olympics Games to competing in them. Many Olympians enjoy knowing their whole country is watching them. Indian Olympians can&rsquo;t expect this attention, but Paul would appreciate more government backing. 
 
&ldquo;It would not only support me in small expenses, but also show me that India has hopes on me, and hence boost me to be better and better. It would show support from the nation.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
What athlete wouldn&rsquo;t be grateful for the support of the country? She would love to know India has her back, but one way or the other, &nbsp;Ayonika Paul just wants to win. 
 
&ldquo;Anyway,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;I will continue practicing to march toward the podium.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
The podium is, after all, a much better vantage point to watch the Olympics from than the couch. 
&nbsp; 
Paul deserves to have India watch her accomplish this rare leap. And who knows: one Indian out there watching the 2016 Olympics on TV might just one day become India&rsquo;s next Ayonika Paul. 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Paul admits she didn't watch the Olympics growing up, but things are different now that she's competing in them

India is famously crazy about cricket, but that sporting fever doesn’t carry over to the Olympics. Despite its enormous population, India’s TV ratings for the 2008 Beijing Olympics were the world’s third lowest. But sometimes it’s not about how many fans you make, but who they are. Ayonika Paul is a 23-year-old shooter from Mumbai. Paul couldn’t wait for Rio 2016 to start, where she’s competing in her first ever Olympics. But the Games didn’t always get her excited. “Truly speaking, I never watched Olympic Games on television except in 2012,” she admits. Here in India she was hardly alone, and who could blame her? India had only won 13 medals in the ten Olympics before Beijing 2012. So how did Paul and the Olympics come together? “At the beginning it was completely on my parents, right from equipment, ammunition, travel, coaching, accommodation, et cetera. Coming from a sports background my parents totally accepted my love and craze for this sport.” Support and passion: the two ingredients all future Olympians have before they make it. In her youth, Paul showed obvious promise competing against seniors in World Cups while still a junior. That’s how she got discovered. “After four years, Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ, an Indian talent scout) took me under their wing, and since then OGQ has funded my training.” But this is where Paul experienced a setback. She had been fortunate, but agonizingly, not quite enough. “Of course had it been a bit earlier, I would have made it in the 2012 Olympics, too. I missed the quota by only 0.1.” Watching the Olympics on TV instead of competing in them couldn‘t have been easy, but rather than feel sorry for herself she got to work. “In 2012, I realised I needed a foreign trainer with advanced know-how...now I am seeing the results.” Her story is rare. Most Indians don’t go from being oblivious about the Olympics Games to competing in them. Many Olympians enjoy knowing their whole country is watching them. Indian Olympians can’t expect this attention, but Paul would appreciate more government backing. “It would not only support me in small expenses, but also show me that India has hopes on me, and hence boost me to be better and better. It would show support from the nation.” What athlete wouldn’t be grateful for the support of the country? She would love to know India has her back, but one way or the other, Ayonika Paul just wants to win. “Anyway,” she says, “I will continue practicing to march toward the podium.” The podium is, after all, a much better vantage point to watch the Olympics from than the couch. Paul deserves to have India watch her accomplish this rare leap. And who knows: one Indian out there watching the 2016 Olympics on TV might just one day become India’s next Ayonika Paul. (WION)

Rio Olympics 2016: Talking with Indian shooter, Ayonika Paul

Russia&#39;&#39;s Yulia Efimova booked her place on Wednesday in the final of the women&#39;s 200 metres breaststroke but her nemesis Lilly King of the United States failed to make it past the semi-finals. 
 
Australia&#39;s Taylor McKeown was the fastest qualifier for Thursday&#39;s final, followed by Japan&#39;s Rie Kaneto and Britain&#39;s Molly Renshaw, with Efimova sixth and King 12th. Only the top eight make the final. 
 
With two past doping suspensions, Efimova, bronze medallist in the event in London 2012, was initially excluded from the Rio Games but succeeded in a last-minute appeal last week to be allowed to compete. 
 
Comments by King describing her rival as a drug cheat set up a tense clash in Monday&#39;s 100 breaststroke final, in which the American defeated the Russian. 
 
The two swam in separate semi-finals on Wednesday. 
 
King&#39;s forthright comments earlier in the week gave an even sharper edge to traditional US-Russian rivalry.&nbsp; 
 
Russian swimming chief Vladimir Salnikov told Reuters on Tuesday the atmosphere surrounding his team reminded him of the Cold War. 
King, 19, told reporters earlier on Wednesday that she had no regrets for what she said. 
 
&quot;My parents raised me to say what I wanted to say even if it wasn&#39;t what people wanted to hear necessarily, so it&#39;s always been like how I am,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;And I&#39;m going to stick with my guns.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

With two past doping suspensions, Efimova was initially excluded from the Rio Games but succeeded in a last-minute appeal last week

Russia''s Yulia Efimova booked her place on Wednesday in the final of the women's 200 metres breaststroke but her nemesis Lilly King of the United States failed to make it past the semi-finals. Australia's Taylor McKeown was the fastest qualifier for Thursday's final, followed by Japan's Rie Kaneto and Britain's Molly Renshaw, with Efimova sixth and King 12th. Only the top eight make the final. With two past doping suspensions, Efimova, bronze medallist in the event in London 2012, was initially excluded from the Rio Games but succeeded in a last-minute appeal last week to be allowed to compete. Comments by King describing her rival as a drug cheat set up a tense clash in Monday's 100 breaststroke final, in which the American defeated the Russian. The two swam in separate semi-finals on Wednesday. King's forthright comments earlier in the week gave an even sharper edge to traditional US-Russian rivalry. Russian swimming chief Vladimir Salnikov told Reuters on Tuesday the atmosphere surrounding his team reminded him of the Cold War. King, 19, told reporters earlier on Wednesday that she had no regrets for what she said. "My parents raised me to say what I wanted to say even if it wasn't what people wanted to hear necessarily, so it's always been like how I am," she said. "And I'm going to stick with my guns." (Reuters)

Rio Olympics: Efimova makes it to her second breaststroke final, King misses out

After 112 years, golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics today with Brazil&#39;s Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators. 
 
Under overcast skies and in calm conditions ideal for scoring, Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small nearly empty stand. 
 
Da Silva was followed by Canada&#39;s Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George Lyon won the last Olympic golf tournament in 1904, with South Korean An Byeong-hun completing the threesome. 
 
The tournament lost much of its prestige after the world&#39;s four top-ranked players, Australian Jason Day, Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, opted not to take part, citing concerns over the Zika virus.Four rounds over four days on the newly-constructed course on the Marapendi Nature Reserve will decide the medals with 60 players in the men&#39;s competition and the same number in the women`s event which will follow next week. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The tournament, however, lost much of its prestige after the world's four top-ranked players opted out over Zika concerns

After 112 years, golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics today with Brazil's Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators. Under overcast skies and in calm conditions ideal for scoring, Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small nearly empty stand. Da Silva was followed by Canada's Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George Lyon won the last Olympic golf tournament in 1904, with South Korean An Byeong-hun completing the threesome. The tournament lost much of its prestige after the world's four top-ranked players, Australian Jason Day, Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, opted not to take part, citing concerns over the Zika virus.Four rounds over four days on the newly-constructed course on the Marapendi Nature Reserve will decide the medals with 60 players in the men's competition and the same number in the women`s event which will follow next week. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Golf makes quiet return after 112 years?

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